The 90-second alternative to hysterectomy

Hysterectomies have been the surgery of choice for generations of Canadian women suffering from abnormal uterine bleeding. Hysterectomy was, and still is, the only definitive cure for debilitating menstrual flow.

Nowadays, though, gynaecologists are performing much less invasive surgeries that can attack the cause of the bleeding without removing the uterus.

An office-based, endometrial ablation is a one-time, five-minute, incision-free procedure that can be done in a specially-outfitted office. The actual ablation takes only 90 seconds.

Gynaecologists inject a local anaesthetic into the uterus (the cervix), and offer a mild sedative for relaxation. The doctor then opens the cervix slightly, inserts a slender wand and extends a triangular mesh device into the uterus. The mesh gently expands, fitting to the size and shape of the uterus. Precisely measured radio frequency energy is delivered through the mesh for about 90 seconds. The mesh device is pulled back into the wand, and both are removed from the uterus. The procedure chars the lining of the uterus thereby altering monthly build-up and shedding during menstruation. After about half an hour in recovery, women can go home or even back to work. Most gynaecologists refer to the procedure by its brand name, NovaSure.

“This type of ablation is a safe and simple alternative to hysterectomy,” says Dr. Hassan Shenassa, a gynaecologist at the Shirley E. Greenberg Women's Health Centre at the Ottawa Hospital. “We do it for women who have heavy periods, have finished their childbearing and who have no abnormalities in their uterus.”

Holly Bridges, who had an operating-room ablation three years ago, says the more women insist on having office-based ablations, the more likely medical facilities will offer them. “We deserve to have the best possible care in the least invasive fashion.”

Bridges is writing a book about minimally invasive alternatives to hysterectomy and would like to hear from women who are looking for alternatives. She can be reached at www.unhysterectomy.com.