Uterine Ablation..come tell me about it

[UmMusa]

Two years ago my ob/gyn told me I should get a uterine ablation b/c of my anemia due to difficult menstrual cycles.  I've tried all other options.  I declined and sought treatment from an acupuncturist who has helped with pms and the cycle itself, but my iron levels are still severely low.  This week, my family doctor told me I should probably get the ablation since my ferritin is not going up even after a consistent iron regimen (and acupuncture).

 

I'm totally freaked out by the thought of getting an ablation.  It seems so wrong on so many levels.  However, every single person I see online has loved it, wished they done it sooner, no regrets.  I know only one person IRL who got one and she loves it too.  

 

My concerns are about disrupting the natural system of menstruation in general (surely it is part of our whole body thus something else must be affected by shutting that down), and also by the freaky part about nuking the uterus.

 

So... anybody want to share? On paper it seems like an easy YES to getting the procedure, but ever since two years ago when my doctor first suggested it my heart says no.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Okay, it does not disrupt menstruation. I still menstruate but since most of my uterus has scar tissue the blood/tissue can not form along the uterine lining. I also had to have a tubal ligation because with out it you could have insemination but the egg would not implant.  For the first several years the amount of blood every month was minimal.  Spotting lightly for a couple days (like literally a couple spots).  It's gotten a bit heavier each year but I think I'm peri-menopausal and that's the natural progression.  I have 2-3 days where I have to use something but in total I only go through a couple regular sized tampons.  I feel so much better and my iron hasn't dipped below 10.5 since I had it done. As for nuking.... Mine was done with a wand that burned the lining. The Doctor said it would be like a bad sunburn but it didn't hurt at all.  I really didn't care, the thought that I wouldn't feel 1/2 dead for 1/2 the month was well worth any pain I might temporarily suffer.  The one drawback is that I couldn't have any more children.  I'd already had 4, plus DH has 1 so at the time I was all for it.  Later I did wish that I could have had 1 more baby but honestly it was probably for the best.

[MotherGoose]

Have you tried a mirena iud? That was given to me as an option instead and it works well, and is much less scary!

[Guest]

I possibly would do it for the reason you have because that kind of anemia is no joke. But I totally share your reservations for the same reasons.

 

My SIL did have one and she is very happy she did it, but she did tell me that she had an acne erruption afterwards. (i'm not sure if she meant one time or continuing on some regular basis.) She believes it disrupted her hormones and that caused the acne.

[TravelingChris]

I haven't heard of any type of endometrial ablation with radiation as a means of doing it.  I had the Novasure procedure http://www.novasure.com/patients/what-novasure-endometrial-ablation .  It involves radiowaves, not radioactivity.  I got the procedure in 2011, less than six months after I was put on blood thinners.   I was already in peri-menopause but the coumadin just made things much worse and I was worried that I would be hospitalized.  I was medically unable to go on hormonal treatment because of the clotting issue so Novasure was it.  I had very little pain and only little periods to just spotting afterwards.  It did help me have five years of no worries and no excessive bleeding so I found it to be a very good treatment.  From what I understand, it is not a fool proof treatment but does work on the great majority of people.

[kewb]

I had the novasure ablation, too. Best thing I ever did.

 

It has been about 5 years now. My periods involve spotting for a day or two now.

 

The procedure was relatively quick and the recovery was as expected.

[Guest]

I think it is amazing that we have the technology to safely make periods go away. I've watched my bff go from being housebound and depressed for a week every month to having the freedom of movement we all deserve. She had to set an alarm every hour at night to avoid major accidents. That is no way to live!! She is firmly in the "should have done it sooner" camp.

[Veritaserum]

I had an ablation a year and a half ago. I decided to do it because of very heavy, cramp-filled periods that inevitably triggered yet another UTI. I also got a migraine and was generally miserable and incapacitated for ~3 days every 3.5 weeks. (My cycles have shortened significantly in recent years to 24 days or so). Mirena made me bleedly daily for the full 18 months I had it. Continuous birth control pills made me bleed half the month. Both of these options made my migraines worse. I was also anemic, which compounded my autoimmune thyroid disease.

 

When I went in for a consultation with an OB/GYN (I usually see my family practice doctor), he said that ablation or hysterectomy were the two options most likely to help. He recommended ablation as it's far less invasive, but he said that it may lose effectiveness over time. I'm a proponent of minimally invasive treatment, so I chose ablation.

 

I underwent the procedure in an outpatient sugical facility. I could have had it done in the doctor's office, but I didn't want to be awake. I remember nothing between when I fell asleep and when I woke up. Recovery wasn't bad (slightly crampy for a week or so). My periods are still arriving every 24 days or so, but they're really, really light. No cramps. No UTIs. I do still get a migraine, but I wasn't expecting that to change.

 

My iron levels have improved and I'm generally much happier with my cycles.

 

ETA: Dh had a vasectomy more than two years before my ablation, so I didn't get a tubal ligation. They did ask me before the procedure what birth control I'd be using afterward. Pregnancy is possible after ablation, but the chances are extremely low and the risks are high (probable miscarriage). I've already birthed six babies, so I'm not interested in having more.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Veritaserum

[UmMusa]

Thank you all for your input.  Logically I know I should do it... i've been suffering a lot for many years, and no amount of iron therapy has worked.  Pills and both IUD's don't help.  

I think I'm being a scaredy cat.

[Mothersweets]

Don't be scared!  :grouphug:

 

I had mine done in 2010 or 2011 (can't quite remember) and it was so easy. No pain, super easy recovery and I haven't had a period since. 

[Veritaserum]

Thank you all for your input. Logically I know I should do it... i've been suffering a lot for many years, and no amount of iron therapy has worked. Pills and both IUD's don't help.

I think I'm being a scaredy cat.

I opted for general anesthesia because I was nervous. I have a friend who recently had an ablation. She has a fear of being unconscious, so she chose to have a local anesthesia for her procedure. There are options to make it a less scary experience. For example, a Valium taken the morning of might help. (You'll need someone to drive you there and back home, but you're also not supposed to be alone afterward.) I had NovaSure. It was a good experience as far as medical procedures go. :)

[foxbridgeacademy]

Scaredy cat? Can't be as bad as me.  I was terrified.  The Doctor gave me a pill to take 1/2 hour before I came (ativan) so I would actually show up (Not the first or last time I've been prescribed ativan for my "medical anxiety"). Then they gave me a general since I was having the tubal as well.  I woke up no pain, no fuss.  Couple little stitches that went away on their own (from the tubal) and a bit of a mess from the ablation for a week (I can give more detail but it might be TMI).  Except for the wishing I could have had 1 more baby it's one of the easiest medical things I've had done. 

[trulycrabby]

I had the same issue of severe anemia caused by heavy bleeding but since I had other issues (pelvic pain, ascites, and a family history of ovarian cancer), I chose to have the ovaries and fallopian tubes removed instead of uterine ablation. I am in my 50's, so I did not want any more children. I now take hrt, and can have a period if my estrogen levels get high enough, but I have learned to keep my levels just high enough to avoid hot flashes. I'm not trying to talk you into going my route, just sharing my experience.

 

There can be an issue of the scar tissue disguising/hiding symptoms of uterine cancer, but I think the risk is very small unless you have a strong family history of uterine cancer.

 

Have you had and endometrial biopsy and/or hysteroscopy/d&c to rule out endometrial cancer? You probably have, these procedures were the first thing my gyn did when I went to her with the bleeding/anemia issue.

 

If you are scared of anesthesia, be assured that it is much safer than it was even twenty years ago. I am about to undergo my fourth surgery in a little over a year, and each time seems a little easier to wake up from. The doctor can even prescribe a benzodiazepine to help overcome medical anxiety if it will help you undergo the procedure.

[kathy_overman]

I did it and I love it.

 

It solved my very heavy period problems - so worth it!  No negative side effects from the ablation.

[UmMusa]

Ok thank you all so much. This is exactly what I need to hear.

[Donna]

I had Novasure 3 years ago due to a severe period that would not stop unless I stayed on hormones which caused anemia.

 

I have had no complications and no menstruation since.

 

Best thing I ever did.

[raindrops]

I had Novasure in February.  After suffering with borderline anemia and low ferritin (11-20 range) for a long time, my levels went up to the 50s (for ferritin) within a month.  Now my ferritin is at about 78, which is close to ideal.  I'm glad I did it.

Edited January 29, 2017 by raindrops