February 10, 2006

New relief for sufferers of Menorrhagia

Breakthrough procedure offers relief without drugs or surgery

By Dr. Michael Contro,
Ob/Gyn, F.A.C.O.G.
Special to the Times

One in five women in California and across the country suffers from a debilitating condition called menorrhagia, but many do not seek treatment.

Characterized by heavy and prolonged periods, menorrhagia affects seven million women in the U.S. Menorrhagia causes a number of health and quality of life issues ranging from chronic fatigue and anemia to embarrassing accidents and restricted activity that wreak havoc on women’s personal and professional lives.

Many women suffering from menorrhagia don’t recognize that their symptoms may be a result of a known and treatable condition. Some are too embarrassed to mention it to their friends, family or even their physicians, and still others see their excessive bleeding as an inconvenience rather than a health risk. As a physician, I have seen many women suffering unnecessarily when minimally invasive and effective treatments are locally available.

In the past, women with menorrhagia were typically offered treatments ranging from drug therapy to hysterectomy, but for many women these treatments proved ineffective or highly invasive. Aside from the side effects of hormone therapy and the inconvenience of having to take a pill every day, birth control is usually effective only 50 percent of the time. Dilation and curettage (D&C) is effective for only 15 percent of women and is often a temporary solution. The most invasive treatment, hysterectomy, remains the single most common option. There are 200,000 hysterectomies performed each year to alleviate excessive menstrual bleeding.

Today, physicians have safe, effective and fast alternatives for women who have completed their families and no longer want to suffer from debilitating symptoms. Treatments such as endometrial ablation, which use a variety of techniques to remove the lining of the uterus, are changing women’s lives by reducing or altogether eliminating their periods.

Evergreen resident Janet Sall saw a dramatic increase in her menstrual flow after giving birth to her last child. Her period all but controlled her life, leaving her completely debilitated and scared to stand up in public, fearing an embarrassing accident. Anytime she wanted to make plans with friends she had to heavily prepare by bringing an exorbitant amount of extra protection everywhere. The stress of her period left her exhausted and frustrated, and she was desperate for something to ease her struggle.

Sall has been one of my patients for nearly 30 years, and finally approached me about her excessive bleeding. She feared what many women with excessive menstrual bleeding do: that she would have to get a hysterectomy. I thought she sounded like a great candidate for endometrial ablation.

Delivered by a device called the NovaSure System, endometrial ablation is a 90-second procedure that permanently destroys the uterine lining that produces menstrual bleeding. Sall decided that NovaSure was the best option for her.

“The procedure was incredible simple and painless,” Sall said. “I was home the same day, took a few ibuprofens and was back to work almost immediately.”

Since getting NovaSure, Sall’s period has stopped completely. It has changed her quality of life dramatically, and she is thrilled with the results.

If you have extreme periods and your symptoms affect your daily life, talk to your gynecologist about the various treatment options that may be suitable for you, as endometrial ablation may be one of them. I estimate that 95 percent of the women I have treated with endometrial ablation have had successful outcomes.

Signs that you might have menorrhagia

- Your period lasts for more than 7 days
- You use 20 or more sanitary napkins or tampons in a single day during your period
- You have to change your sanitary napkin or tampon approximately every hour or less
- You experience spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods

If you experience any of these symptoms on a regular basis, talk to your gynecologist or visit www.novasure.com for more information.