Does anyone have any experience of endometrial ablation, particularly the Novasure method?

[WigWamBam]

Have been offered one of these as the best treatment for dysfunctional uterine bleeding/menorrhagia, but the consultant didn't give me a lot of information and Googling has just terrified the wits out of me (I know, Googling any health topic is never a good idea!)

I've searched the archives and found a few postings, but would really value any experiences anyone may have.

Hi QOD,I was back working within a few days (I'm financial services, so I did admin only initially), and then I was back out customer facing 9 days after procedure. But I have to say that I have had some post op symptoms which I did not expect, and the leaflet did not refer to. I had very painful breast tension and cramps on the days in my cycle that would normally have been very heavy bleeding but the heavy loss did not occur which was a Godsend. Also I've had quite a few headaches (suffer from migraine for 20 years), I've been very hot at times and had a few night sweats, but remember that Novasure works on radio therapy to these symptoms should logically be expected. But the stangest thing is my behaviour, like I'm on another planet sometimes. Forgetfulness and gabbling!! E.G. I drove off and left my laptop next to my dustbin and didn;t realise until I had completed a 13 mile journey

Sorry - ran out of space....!
So yes, I've been a bit of a 'mad cow' lately!! But then again, the Ablation has killed off the endometrium which contains many hormones, so I feel that my behaviour can be explained and not just me (wink)
It's now just over 4 weeks since I had my procedure and I am due to see my Consultant on 17th March. I am still bleeding, albeit very lightly, but it seems to be the tail end of my period as my bleeding spanned virtually 2 weeks.
I know it is early days and some ladies say that it took a few months to almost a year before they saw the full benefit of the procedure so I am being patient and remain optimistic.
I'm sure you will be fine physically to return to work but don't be too hard on yourself if you start to do funny things - it appears to be 'normal' whatever that is!
Good Luck. Ellie x

oh I am a numbskull, i am having it done with boiling water, I just jumped into the endometrial ablation bit...
Thank you for your hlp though :D

Oh I see. Well apparently it does the same thing more or less, although I was told that the Therma Care was an older technique and not as efficient as the Novasure. But both work on the same principle of killing off the lining of the womb. It may be worthwhile flagging this up with your consultant. Really wish you luck.

I'm in bed with migraine today. Who would be a woman eh?

But I am ever hopeful...

x

sometimes it's hard, to be a woman..........

get well soon!

thanks.

Do keep me posted regarding your progress post 2nd April. It will be good to compare notes.

Ellie x

Hi QOD,

Just wanted to wish you well for 2nd April. For me, so far so BRILLIANT!! Today would be the first day of flooding, which would have been preceeded by a week of light to moderate bleeding, but at the time I write not a spot.

I do hope all goes well for you.

Ellie x

Hi there, am done & dusted, it all went ok and no complicatioons - boy did they reel a lot off!
So far just lost watery fluid, was a bit bloody in hospital but just oddly scented water now. I did puke bad after the op but was just totally exhausted as I am now.
I feel totally wiped out but not actually in pain. When i get to 4 hrs without parecetomol i start to get twinges, feels like its in my right ovary to be honest. My r ovary is alledgedly stuck to my womb so could be a bit burnt too?
ANyway, am keepin topped up on the meds and just flopping about.
Jus kind of waiting to see what happens next. I mean preumably its watery blisters now, then does it become bloody as it goes through the whole scald/burn/heal process?
Sorry if tmi!

oh and reading some of the older posts linked to on here, i had a hysteroscopy first and biopsy so they did inflate the womb first. Not had any referred pain as yet. I do have a vague recollection of the surgeon showing me photos LOL but i was so shot away i coud oly hold my eyes open for the odd second or 2.

Hi Honey!

So glad you came thru fine, sounds identical to my experience except I was bleeding heavy on day of procedure and so I had a bit more blood loss for a few days afterwards. As I said, I was floppy for weeks after and very bizarre behaviour but that seems to have settled now except my husband says I came on on Thursday, which was exactly 8 weeks post op. But.... not heavy bleeding so far, no 7-10 day pre period light bleeding. Have had twinges in cervix as if I was loosing heavy but so far, its HEAVEN!!

Yeah I had the watery odd smelling discharge which disappeared after 5 weeks. I think that's it now for me, just have to wait to see how the next few months pan out. So far 3 days of minimal blood loss which will ding-dang-do for me!! Apparently its very rare that periods stop all together so I shall keep you posted over the next few months. But my womb now feel like it did when I was in my 20's - thin and healthy - and thats wonderful

Ellie xx

Well I spent last night with d & V so that was nice. Not!
No idea where that came from but am so ruddy exhausted LOL
Still the same watery and just wiped out, I shall keep an eye out for next period date! Think its actually due next week
Thanks for your support
:D

D & V? Diar & Vom?? Nasty. Prob just of post op fall out.

I am still bleeding very lightly so I think I'm still going to have a 7 day period because it was last Thurs morn when I started. Thats okay, had at least 7 days since I started at the age of 12. But the flow has been next to nothing comparatively.

Just praying this will get me past menopause (I've just turned 48). How old are you? I spoke to my Father's sister yesterday and she told me she had a hysterectomy at 39 for DUB too and so did her older sister, so I guess I have their genes.

Have you started doing odd things yet??

Ellie x

LOL not done anything odder than normal, will I really do that?
I actually feel pretty well today, but I taking the whole week I am entitled too off work. I had a score of 1 on the sick scale and this takes me to 16 LOL so it's worth just taking it easy.
I still look pretty rough, very baggy eyed and bleary but I am ok.
Slightly discoloured discharge today, but just a smidgen
I am twenty-nineteen - will be thirty-ten next month, but as I am infertile anyway, there was no worry about me "losing" my fertility
My reason for op was severe to the point of vomiting, pain, with a fair amount of blood loss, but I wouldnt describe mine as heavy.
Scary waiting it and and oh my, I was so frightened before I went under!
Its so nice to "talk" to you, I don't know anyone else in real life who has had it done

Hello
Am new to this so please bear with me!
Have been reading all your messages about Novasure and would love some advice. I am 47 and had been having horrendous periods for some months. Did have Mirena but my Oncology consultant told me to have it removed as I have had breast cancer and she told me that coil was a risk. Shame cos with Mirena had not had any monthlys and got on with it OK - no side effects as such.

Had my op yesterday afternoon and am not feeling too bad. Procedure went ok and pain minimal.

Woz wondering about returning to work. Am off today and over BH, due to return to active duty on Wednesday. I am a Physio Assistant on eldery care hospital wards which does require some lifting. Doctor didn't really say much about returning to work and am also concerned that I was told that I would have no follow up just to go to my GP with any probs. Does this sound right?

Thanks in advance .... looking forward to your info.

Sounds about the same! Looked up a lot on the net and it varied between having several days off to 3 weeks!
I have felt pretty good since about Tuesday, but then I did quite a lot yesterday and had mild period pains and felt sick. I think you need to remember that although there isnt anything visible, you have some damage inside. I am not sure with your version, but presumably, I have blistering and healing going on inside, if I do too much I disturb it.
If you can get paid time off, I would take a week off from day of op minimum. Your job must be at least moderately active, if you stir things up too much you may aggravate it and it may lead to infection.
I was utterly exhausted for 3 days after, utterly wiped out, and don't forget the anaeasthetic is fairly long, half hour or so, that takes it out of you.
My follow up is consultant visit in 4 months and gp if any concerns

Hi,
I had a post-op review 6 weeks after. Just a chat really, no exam. No further follow up required. Have just finished first period since all the discharging etc clearned up so can now confirm that I bled for 6 days, and it was MINIMAL!! Oh What Bliss.

You are right QOD, although we haven;t had invasive surgery, we have had our internal organs changed so our bodies need to get over the shock and heal. Take it easy dozytart - the better your recovers the more effective the medicine!

The consultant who did my Novasure tried to force me to have Mirena but it was not for me, and my bleeding was so excessive that I could not go through any more and wait a year to see if Merina agreed with me. My mother has breast cancer too (post menopause though) and I was not advised that Mirena increased the risk. So I am glad I stuck to my guns and demanded Novasure.

QOD, hope you're okay? Let me know how your first proper period goes.

Ellie x

I was offered the mirena, but it's loaded with hormones and my hormones arent normal, therefore I didnt want to try it. I have had failed clomid, 4 x failed IUI (as in they couldnt even get to insemination as my hormones are haywire) and really couldnt be arsed to even try. They say mirena had a 30% chance of improving things, whereas this option was 80%
I also have a retrovertedwomb & tilted cervix so it would have been a trauma!
I am ok Angel, and so happy for you! I am oddly looking forward to a period! LOL
I will keep in touch on here, really nice to speak to people who are in the same boat

Yes, I know what you mean about looking forward to the first 'normal' period. I was dying to see if there had been any improvement and delighted to see that there has! Still got cramps though, and breast tension has been more painful then before?? Probably because the hormones have been tampered with but its uncomfortable because I'm not shy in the boon dept...

Sorry to hear about your fertility issues. I never had problems with that, just my ex husband didn;t like children or pregnancy etc. After my marriage broke up 8 years ago I had a rebound relationship with lovely guy who said I deserved children but unfortunately he has fertility problems. So we did IVF twice and I had the ovulation rate of a 25 yr old, but failed both times. Sadly relationship did not stay the distance either. So I know where you have been. Now remarried and Ian has 3 kids, eldest 18 so not bothered about any of our own.

Having the Mirena fitted was not appealling to me either. I have not had a full term pregnancy, so I knew it would be painful. I didn;t like the thought of something inside me that made my bleeding worse that I could not control and I just could not have stood another year of haemoraging/public embarrassments/anemia just too see if it worked. I am hoping that I will glide gracefully into menopause now without feeling constantly wrecked.

But I have felt 'odd' since my op,like I;m not quite with it. So understand all the remarks about feeling spaced out etc, I've put it down to hormonal changes and my body adapting to its new reduced womb status. I was making lunch for my mother the other day and chucked the tea bag and boiling water into a saucepan and poured a tin of chopped tomatoes into the teapot...!!! Maybe the op has started menopausal symptoms off already. Oh God, I feel a new post coming on...

Keep smiling chicks.

Ellie x

Yes, I know what you mean about looking forward to the first 'normal' period. I was dying to see if there had been any improvement and delighted to see that there has! Still got cramps though, and breast tension has been more painful then before?? Probably because the hormones have been tampered with but its uncomfortable because I'm not shy in the boon dept...

Sorry to hear about your fertility issues. I never had problems with that, just my ex husband didn;t like children or pregnancy etc. After my marriage broke up 8 years ago I had a rebound relationship with lovely guy who said I deserved children but unfortunately he has fertility problems. So we did IVF twice and I had the ovulation rate of a 25 yr old, but failed both times. Sadly relationship did not stay the distance either. So I know where you have been. Now remarried and Ian has 3 kids, eldest 18 so not bothered about any of our own.

Having the Mirena fitted was not appealling to me either. I have not had a full term pregnancy, so I knew it would be painful. I didn;t like the thought of something inside me that made my bleeding worse that I could not control and I just could not have stood another year of haemoraging/public embarrassments/anemia just too see if it worked. I am hoping that I will glide gracefully into menopause now without feeling constantly wrecked.

But I have felt 'odd' since my op,like I;m not quite with it. So understand all the remarks about feeling spaced out etc, I've put it down to hormonal changes and my body adapting to its new reduced womb status. I was making lunch for my mother the other day and chucked the tea bag and boiling water into a saucepan and poured a tin of chopped tomatoes into the teapot...!!! Maybe the op has started menopausal symptoms off already. Oh God, I feel a new post coming on...

Keep smiling chicks.

Ellie x

I have never been pregnat either so I didnt reckon they could get a coil in my high tight cervix, so fun to find during smears......
I do have a dd though, you may have seen me post about her before, she is 10 and from straight surrogacy - she's a doll

How lucky you are. Isn;t modern medicine and science fantastic, but our bodies even more so?

I should have had a son who would have been 31 now. Rather traumatic, parents very victorian, would not allow me to continue with pregnancy for fear of what people would say, so was forced to have termination and was induced at 26 weeks. Long time ago, but memories vivid. It would never happen today. Couldn;t help reflecting on the irony of having to endure that so young, and then IVF at 41/42 because my partner had fertility problems.

They say what you never had you never miss, I don;t agree with that, but I sure ain't going to miss my heavy periods!!!

Funny though, apparently I also have a tilted womb. And had a very large cist on my right ovary which was 6cm, and they said if it got any larger they would recommend surgery. Didn;t fancy that either. So I left it and whaddaya know - it went away all by itself. Hubby's Mum (84) was a nurse and she kept telling me to have a hysterectomy because I don;t need my womb anymore. Thats a medic for you - if it doesn;t work, whip it out!!

Got quite a few girlfriends who tried the mirena for heavy bleeds and they all said that it made it worse, so I just wasn;t going down that avenue.

Thanx for the advice girls - really good to talk to others about this as woz a bit worried about after effects (obviously everyone's experience is gonna be different).

My period was due this Monday but hadn't turned up yesterday (glad really coz that would have been embarrasing!). Should I expect a period in next 28 days or do you think the tampering we've had will delay things?

Ellie, I'm a bit worried about the "odd" moments you described - my memory is bad enough as it is - went to supermarket the other day and spent 10 mins looking for my car only to realise that I had actually driven my daughters! Was convinced mine had been stolen!!
Take care girls and will keep checkin in.

Lesley. xxx

dozytart!! did you have a senior moment then??

I was actually bleeding very heavily on the day they did my procedure, so bad that had to wear tampon to walk into the theatre... they told me not to worry about it and said thats exactly why I was there.

Post op I had the semblance of a light period but it was watery by comparison to what had become the normal clotting etc. I have read on an american site that they 'wash you out' with a solution to clear out the cavity of your womb after ablation and I would certain think they did that to me because the heavy bleeding I was having after the op would have gone on another 24 hours normally and it was virtually non-existant when I left the hospital for home.

28 days later, whilst still discharging my womb I could tell a change in texture so knew that was my first period post op.

They have not tampered with your ovaries so your cycle should be fairly on track, maybe a bit delayed because they have been messing with hormones though. Prob just stress of having op etc?? Did you get well warned about using contraceptives? I thought they were going to arrest me when I said I didn;t take any!!! haa haa

Ellie x

I was sitting talking to my mum earlier and saying that I am due a period today and bam, now I have mild period pains and a browner discharge, I can live with this!! Bit gutting that I have to take a month off the mooncup - nothing to go in for fear of infection!
I was extra crabby with dd this morning actually, pmt like evil so there you go!

Straight surrogacy (not patronising you) means she isn't biologically mine, my friend was inseminated with dh's spermies, but she sure grew in my heart if not below it!

Ah, so your daughter really is so special. How delightful. I am sure she will be all you ever dreamed of.

The mooncup!! Read so much about this, but because of the excessive bleeding it was never an option. Now I feel like trying this. Is it really effective? I don;t like clogging up the planet and thats exactly how I have been feeling - all that fabric down the pan etc.

How long were you advised not to insert anything? My consultant said to wear pads for 2 weeks. I complied but it was a culture shock, particularly after having to wear two super-plus tampons for 3 days plus a pad on sticker from age 14, but I got through it. After two weeks I felt well enough to go back to tampons.

I don't know what you mean by 'dd and dh'??

It will be good for you to get your first period post-op over and done with - one less thing to wonder/worry about. Have you had any excessive pmt symptoms? As I said earlier, my first period was very painful (cramp was never really my problem - it was the excessive loss) and the breast tension has been horrendous. Even now, after finishing my first period they are still tender.

Its sad that even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with my body, I have had to have surgery to correct the dreaded hormones. In May 2007, as I recovered from anaesthetic from a hysteroscopy, my consultant told my husband that I was "as clean as a whistle", (typical manspeak) ie I had no fibroids/endometreosis/polyps etc. Just a basic hormone imbalance which rendered my reproductive organs completely out of control and so controlling my life. Maybe modern science not so clever afterall!!!

Ellie xx

ps WHY are gynacologist all male?? I had to fight with mine to get him to do Novasure, to the point that after listening to him extol the virtues of Mirena, and the statistical success rate, I lost it big time and I banged on his desk and yelled "THATS ALL VERY WELL, BUT YOU ARE NOT A BLOODY WOMAN!