Help for Heavy Periods

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 18 million women between the ages of 30 and 55 perceive their menstrual bleeding to be excessive. Fortunately, a hysterectomy is not the only answer. An alternative procedure is available - endometrial ablation.

Endometrial ablation is a minimally invasive medical procedure that destroys the lining of the uterus to help decrease or stop bleeding.

'This procedure is a great treatment option for any woman who has heavy or irregular periods, and who is no longer interested in having children,' says Cynthia Robbins, M.D., A.B.O.G., obstetrician and gynecologist on the medical staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. 'Endometrial ablation can also significantly improve the pain or the PMS symptoms associated with a period.'

Endometrial ablation has become popular in recent years due to women wanting to treat excessive bleeding without undergoing major surgery. The procedure can be performed in a doctor's office, and it poses fewer risks, costs less and has a much quicker recovery than a hysterectomy. According to Robbins, close to 90 percent of women who undergo the procedure experience no menstrual bleeding or a significant reduction in their monthly flow.

For more information about women's services at a Texas Health hospital, please visit TexasHealth.org/women or call 1-877-THR-WELL (1-877-847-9355). (Spring 2009)