Every woman has a unique menstrual cycle; some get their periods on time, and others struggle with heavy blood flow and irregularity. This issue can affect your life quality and confidence. Don’t worry, you are not alone. It is believed that excessive menstrual bleeding impacts almost 10 million women in America. However, many are embarrassed to discuss this problem and fail to seek help. When it comes to irregular cycles and heavy periods, it is crucial to talk with your gynecologist and get the proper diagnosis and treatment.
Whether you are in your child-bearing years or premenopausal, we urge you to visit us at Comprehensive OBGYN of the Palm Beaches and schedule an appointment with our skilled professionals, who will care for you. We are proud to provide every woman in the area with evolved gynecological care and compassion. Read on to learn how Novasure can improve your quality of life.
Menorrhagia
This is a medical term for a menstrual period that is too long or heavy. Although many women experience heavier flow, most don’t suffer from menorrhagia since their blood loss is not as severe as in those with this condition. If you suffer from it, you cannot do your daily tasks normally due to cramping, discomfort, and blood loss. It is crucial to discuss this issue with your healthcare provider since there are many heavy menstrual bleeding treatments available, one of them being Novasure endometrial ablation. We offer the Novasure procedure in Palm Beach, FL, a simple, modern treatment designed to help with heavy flow and improve irregular periods.
What is Novasure?
It is a minimally invasive gynecological procedure in which the endometrium, the part that causes the heavy bleeding, is permanently removed with the help of radio frequency waves. It doesn’t involve incisions, and your uterus remains untouched. This in-office procedure lasts around five minutes and can be done in any phase of your cycle. Novasure endometrial ablation is designed for those with heavy menstrual flow and premenopausal women. It doesn’t require anesthesia and doesn’t involve any pain, only slight discomfort, which goes away quickly after. However, if your pain tolerance level is low, your gynecologist can give you local anesthesia.
How is it Done?
Before the surgery, you will be informed about Novasure side effects and given instructions on how to manage them. When you get comfortable on the chair, your gynecologist gently opens your cervix to insert a thin wand and spread a triangular mesh instrument into the uterus. This device expands, conforming to the shape and size of your uterus. Safe and accurately measured radio frequency waves are sent through the mesh in the next 90 seconds. After it is done, the instrument is carefully pulled out of the uterus so not any part is left inside.
What are the Advantages?
This heavy menstrual bleeding treatment comes with many benefits, such as:
- It is a safe, painless, minimally-invasive procedure that removes your uterine lining in under five minutes without the use of anesthesia.
- Almost 90% of women report decreased menstrual bleeding; some even say it stopped altogether.
- It is a one-time procedure.
- Recovery time is minimal, and you can return to your everyday tasks tomorrow.
- This treatment can be done in your gynecologist’s office.
Am I a Candidate for Novasure Endometrial Ablation?
It is certain that Novasure provides permanent and effective results for the majority of women. This is a suitable choice if you:
- Don’t have an IUD device
- Aren’t menopausal
- Don’t have any genital or pelvic infections
- Don’t want to get pregnant
- Don’t have endometrial cancer
If you plan on having a child in the future, this is not an excellent heavy menstrual bleeding treatment for you, but there are other options, such as hormone therapy. Novasure is not a form of sterilization and does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. Most women in premenopause and experiencing heavy flow are good candidates for this procedure. It is essential to remember that this is a non-reversible approach, so discuss this thoroughly with your care provider.
What Should I Expect After Treatment?
Novasure side effects are highly manageable and often pass after a few days. Just like with any other endometrial ablation procedure, you will probably feel uterine cramping, pain, or discomfort briefly after. Some women experience nausea and vomiting due to anesthesia. Do not panic if your discharge is bloody or watery over the next few weeks; it is very common. Patients can return home immediately after the procedure and return to work the following day.
On the other hand, if you develop a high fever, have severe pain in your pelvic area that doesn’t gradually get better and isn’t alleviated with pain relievers, or experience shortness of breath and fatigue, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
What are the Risks?
Before the procedure, your gynecologist will discuss all the possible risks of endometrial ablation and the post-operative symptoms you may experience. Typically, these include uterine perforation, infection, bleeding, injured organs in your pelvic region, and blood accumulation in the uterus because of scarring. Women with cardiac pacemakers or any other implants should be especially cautious regarding this surgery due to possible hazards. There is also another risk, although rare, of your gynecologist not being able to detect endometrial cancer early because this procedure reduces bleeding in your uterine lining, which is a common symptom of this tumor.
Novasure and Pregnancy
One of the main risks of Novasure endometrial ablations is reduced chance of pregnancy. However, it is essential to know that it still can happen, although rarely, and is very dangerous for both mother and her child due to the chance of miscarriage, fetal growth issues, and stillbirth. If you are considering getting pregnant and having a baby in the future, it may be wise not to undergo this heavy menstrual bleeding treatment. Also, if you got it, you will need to take birth control pills to avoid pregnancy.
The Bottom Line
Heavy periods can affect you in many ways and immensely reduce your comfort and quality of life. Many women with uterine bleeding are forced to change their daily routines and miss various social events due to menorrhagia. If you have experienced blood clots, painful cramps, fatigue, long periods, or headache and are forced to change your pads every hour, it is essential to schedule an appointment with your gynecologist to get a proper diagnosis and treatment. Regardless of your age, a heavy menstrual flow shouldn’t occur every month, and neither should anxiety, moodiness, and all the other symptoms. Novasure is a safe, rapid, and minimally invasive way with fast recovery time to get rid of all these symptoms or even stop them altogether. Of course, if you are in the area, we encourage you to visit our office and let our caring and professional staff take care of you. With Novasure endometrial ablation, missed work and school days can be left in the past.