Anyone had the pleasures of endometrial ablation?

[rollonretirementfgs]

I'm praying this will put an end to my horrendously heavy periods. Has anyone had this and seen an improvement? My consultant said for some people it does nothing, for some it stops bleeding altogether.

Sounds like it's worth a try from the PP's responses

It worked for me. I had this surgery due to constant heavy bleeding in peri menopause arising from progesterone and estrogen hormone imbalances.

Hello there
I’m reading these success stories and think that an ablation is the right way to go.
Can any of you recommend a surgeon in the Hampshire area? Or those of you who know of a good surgeon as I am hoping a procedure like this will change my life for the better too.

Mine was undertaken on the NHS, with only a couple of months’ wait (though years ago now).

Life transforming for me 20 years ago. Was sore for a few days then freedom. Had it done by NHS under general as a day surgery case. Good luck

thank you for posting. I’m going to try the NHS route too but can you remember the name of your surgeon and hospital?

Mine was at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, and my wonderful gynae was Mrs Qureshi. I can’t remember the name of the method used, but it involved microwaves. Mrs Qureshi also practices privately at The Bath Clinic and I believe carries out ablations in her private work.

Thank you so much. I shall look her up.
Happy new year!

Update - had my ablation 3 months ago, still having heavy periods. What now? I'm gutted

Ablation did nothing for me. I've been sterilised but have been back on the mini pill since (about 14 years ish) and haven't had a period since.

I’m so sorry. I was lucky, I think, that although it was painful (I was fully conscious for mine, just some gas and air available) I had a triple treatment in one, which resulted in a reduction in my bleeding (but only to ‘normal’ levels, not enough to make me anaemic any more) so it was enough. My gynae told me that the treatment might need repeating after some time, or that I might have to move to a hysterectomy as the last resort. I wanted a hysterectomy when I first saw her, but her treatment plan is Mirena - then ablation - then hysterectomy, to be sure that the least extensive treatment possible is used to solve your issues. It might be that this is the only solution for you. See if you are still able to get an appointment directly with your gynae, rather than waiting for a new referral, and then have a discussion about what options remain.

Mine has been a disaster.

My friend had one 10 years ago and said it was the best thing she had ever had done, this spurred me on to get one myself following decades of heavy bleeding that was so bad I ended up severely iron deficient.

The actual procedure went really well and brought my bleeding down to virtually nothing. However, within 6 months I was experiencing labour-like pains during each period (and still am).

In December 2023 I pleaded for a MRI to see what was happening. Turns out I actually have endometriosis (which my gynae had never bothered to check me for despite me telling him my sister has it). The ablation has forced the endo into the walls of my uterus causing an additional problem of adenomyosis.

I am still having terrible pains each period and my gynae's only advice is to take pain killers. I am now on an 18 month wait for an laparosopy and will probably need a hysterectomy for the adenomyosis which apparently has no cure.

I would go back to your gynae. It is so disappointing when you go through a procedure like this only for it to fail. Do you experience any pain?

How are your pain levels now? I was the same as you, no pain at all whilst I had the horrendous heavy periods but I feel I have simply exchanged heaviness for pain, that wasn't the outcome I had hoped for.

Oh my god that is horrendous! I'm so sorry yours has found so badly wrong. How do they check for endometriosis? Hope you get sorted soon x

@Armyofprawns funnily enough I've never had painful periods, just seriously heavy, now I do get some pain. Praying it doesn't get worse.

I've had one, along with other attempts to stop the horrendous bleeding. Mine worked, after a fashion, but I grew more fibroids on the uterus wall and also in it so ultimately it was a hysterectomy that sorted me. Over a year down the line I'm still so so glad that I no longer have my useless uterus.

I did 14 years ago at around 39. I'm in menopause now but I never bled again after it. Best thing I ever did.

I'm sure yours wont get worse, I think my pain is coming from the damage uterine wall due to the adenomyosis.
It's been picked up via the MRI and I need the laparoscopy to confirm and excuse the endo deposits.
Have you tried a mirena? My biggest regret is not trying that and going straight into the ablation.

I'll also add that I had periods for 6 months post ablation so you may find yours suddenly stop. My gynae told me that was quite common. I had no idea because my friend stop bleeding the moment she had the ablation and hasn't bled since.

Not me, but my BFF had an ablation for very heavy periods. It wasn't successful as she the had heavy, extremely painful periods afterwards and she went had to have a hysterectomy, which resolved the problem.

Had one about 16 years ago. Had tried everything for super heavy periods and horrendous pains that made me faint and gave me DOMS type pains in my thighs afterwards as the cramping was so bad. Agree with those saying it was life changing. Periods didn’t disappear altogether but they were pain free and light so I was like one of those annoying 1980s advert women who could do anything on her period and never worry about it 🙂

Oh really, this is good to know! I know most people's stop immediately but hoping I'm going to be like you and it stops after a while. Thanks for commenting, you've given me some hope x

@Armyofprawns you poor thing. It's so unfair that some women have to go through all this just to be normal! I was repeatedly offered mirena but after lots of research I decided against it because of the possible side effects.

I also have had lots of fibroids, including an 'enormous' one that I was hoping was the cause of my horrific periods... it wasn't. Nothing seems to stop my monthly murder scene.