Thermoablation: 73% have reduced dysmenorrhea at 3 years.(Practice Trends)

SAN DIEGO -- Thermal balloon endometrial ablation is a safe and effective option for the treatment of women with idiopathic menorrhagia, results from a 3-year study of 330 women have shown.

"The procedure is simple, does not require additional training in operative hysterectomy, and compares favorably with other ablative techniques," Stefanos Chandakas, M.D., Ph.D., reported at an international congress of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. "These good results, however, need to be confirmed in a randomized, controlled trial."

He and his associates used a 6-mm diameter Cavaterm Plus thermoablation system in 330 women with a mean age of 42 years. All participants had experienced heavy menstrual bleeding, failed medical treatment for the condition, and otherwise would have required hysterectomy, endometrial laser ablation, or endometrial resection.

The outpatient procedures were performed from January 2001 to June 2004 at Princess Royal University Hospital and Farnborough Hospital, Orpington, England. Contraindications included undiagnosed uterine bleeding, pregnancy or the desire to become pregnant, atypical endometrial cells, cervical length greater than 6 mm, a uterine cavity less than 4 cm or greater than 10 cm, uterine wall weakness, and ongoing infection.

No endometrial ...