If you have extremely heavy periods that last more than seven or eight days, involve the soaking of pads and tampons within one hour, and if you develop anemia due to your menstrual cycle, then you may need some advanced treatment to help control your periods. While hormonal birth control can be used to assist you, this is not right for everyone. Surgical procedures may need to be scheduled and something called endometrial ablation may be completed. Keep reading to learn a little bit more about this procedure.

What Is Endometrial Ablation?

If you know a little bit about periods, then you know that the lining inside the uterus builds with blood-rich tissue. If you do not become pregnant, then the tissue is released with the blood. This tissue lining is called the endometrium and its formation is controlled by hormones in your body. When there is aggressive and substantial building of the lining, then this creates a situation where periods are extremely heavy.

Endometrial ablation is a procedure where the endometrium is destroyed. This prevents the lining from building as thick and blood-rich as it once did. In some cases, the emdometrium no longer builds and periods cease.

There are many different tools that your gynecologist can use to destroy the lining. The tool, depends on the method used for ablation. Certain radio frequencies can be used to destroy the tissues and sometimes physicians will use freezing or high heat techniques. The vase majority of ablation procedures can be completed with local anesthetics. However, sometimes a more complicated and invasive procedure is required with general anesthesia.

Are There Complications?

Most women will experience some soreness and cramping after the ablation procedure. Frequent urination following the surgery and some bloody discharge is to be expected as well. However, you will soon notice lighter periods.

You should understand that the ablation does not cause sterilization. You can still become pregnant, but the embryo will not be viable since the uterus will not be able to retain the fertilized egg for very long. If you do become pregnant, you will have a miscarriage. 

Miscarriages can be devastating to women, so it is wise to use birth control after the ablation. Obviously, the ablation will mean that you cannot have children, so this needs to be considered as well. For most women considering the procedure though, periods are so extreme that they cause a serious quality of life issue. For more information, consult with a local gynecologist.

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