Published: October 17, 2007 12:26 pm      

New Option for women with heavy periods

PICAYUNE — One of the many topics women enjoy discussing are female health concerns. One of the most popular subjects is the many issues today’s woman is having with their menstrual cycles.

It helps women to know they are not going through unusual symptoms, and that others are facing the same problems.

Now when women are sharing their insights with each other they can pass along a solution for one of the problems we face, heavy periods.

For the women who have experienced this new option, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

This new option for women who suffer from heavy periods or menorrhagia is a procedure called Endomentrial Ablation.

At first, it sounds complicated, but the procedure is easier than you think and it may offer women freedom from pain and anxiety.

As one who has personally been through this procedure, I can testify that it is an amazing difference from before. Plus, for a busy woman with jobs, children, and multiple responsibilities the time down was much shorter than a full scale hysterectomy.

One in five women in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the country suffer from a treatable condition, yet most do not seek treatment. Heavy and prolonged periods, known as menorrhagia, affect ten million women in the U.S. and cause symptoms from chronic fatigue and anemia that result from the extreme loss of blood, to embarrassing accidents and restricted activity that wreak havoc on women’s personal and professional lives.

Many women suffering from menorrhagia don’t recognize that their symptoms may be a result of a known and treatable condition, others are too embarrassed to bring up the subject with their friends, family or even their physicians, and still others see their prolonged and excessive bleeding as an inconvenience rather than a health risk.

“What these women do know is that their symptoms place limitations on their normal, day-to-day activities. As a physician”, Dr. Robert Muller, an physician practicing gynaecology in Slidell states, “ I have seen many women suffering unnecessarily when minimally invasive and effective treatments are locally available.”

“In the past, women with menorrhagia were typically offered treatments ranging from drug therapy to hysterectomy, but for many women these treatments proved ineffective or unnecessarily invasive.”

Hormone therapy is usually effective only 50 percent of the time. Additionally, hormone therapy is not recommended for women with a history of cardiovascular disease, blood clots, diabetes or breast cancer. For women who do fit the criteria, they may experience undesirable side effects including headaches, weight gain and nausea. Dilation and curettage (D&C) is effective for only fifteen percent of women and is often a temporary solution.

The most invasive treatment, hysterectomy, remains a very common option. There are about 200,000 hysterectomies performed each year to alleviate excessive menstrual bleeding

Today, physicians have safe, effective and fast alternatives for women who have completed their families and no longer want to suffer from debilitating symptoms. Treatments such as endometrial ablation, which use a variety of techniques to remove the lining of the uterus, are changing women’s lives by reducing or altogether eliminating their periods.

“One of my patients, Adele Warner, suffered from heavy periods for almost a year. Her period was heavy and lasted for days with cramping to go along with it. She had to schedule her life around her period every month, even missing a few days of work because she was so miserable. She had horrible mood swings and was afraid to leave her house in case of an embarrassing accident. Her period controlled her life and destroyed her quality of life.

Adele finally came to see me to discuss her problem periods. I offered her a number of treatment options: hormone therapy, hysterectomy or endometrial ablation. Adele didn’t want to bother with hormone therapy, as she had completed building her family and had her tubes tied, and didn’t want to deal with the hassle of taking a pill every day.

Hysterectomy was far too invasive with too long of a recovery period for a working mom with kids. Adele decided to try endometrial ablation, delivered through a device called NovaSure, a 90-second, outpatient procedure that removes the uterine lining which causes menstrual bleeding. Adele had the procedure done and was recovered within days.

Since having the NovaSure procedure, Adele’s life has changed dramatically. Her period has stopped completely. She is thrilled with the procedure, and wants to share her story so other women will stop suffering in silence.”

The success story of this procedure is in the patients who have been through it and are very happy with the results, like myself.

My condition had led to anemia that was continually growing worse, but now, the lack of fatigue has improved my daily life tremendously.

Dr Muller says, “If you have extreme periods, if your symptoms affect your daily life and prevent you from doing the things you love, talk to your gynecologist––fast, easy treatment options are available and can quite literally change your life.

NovaSure is a 90-second outpatient procedure that can be performed under any anesthesia protocol and at any time during a woman’s cycle. Just like Adele, most of my NovaSure patients have returned to work a few days after the procedure, whereas, a hysterectomy often requires recovery time of six to eight weeks. I estimate that 95 percent of the women I have treated with NovaSure had successful outcomes.”

In my case, my Ob/Gyn who practices at Ochsner Health Center in Slidell, Dr. Anthony Grieco did an excellent job with the endometrial ablation and I highly recommend him and the procedure to any woman suffering with these symptoms.

For more on my personal experience or questions, please feel free to contact me at myhometown@bellsouth.net or call the Picayune Item at 601-798-4766, ext. 117.

Dr. Robert Muller is an physician practicing gynaecology at Camellia Women’s Center in Slidell, Louisiana.

For more information about menorrhagia or current treatment options visit www.aboutheavyperiods.com.

If you experience any of these symptoms on a regular basis, talk to your gynecologist or visit www.novasure.com for more information.