Heavy Bleeding (Menorrhagia)

Most women lose about 1/4 cup of blood during their period, although it may seem like more. Some women have longer periods or heavier bleeding. Heavy bleeding is most common for women between ages 40 and 50, as they approach menopause. Heavy bleeding may be caused by hormonal changes, certain medical conditions, problems with blood clotting, uterine abnormalities, or cancer. Losing too much blood can lead to anemia. It also can affect your ability to do the things you need to do and affect your quality of life. See your doctor for evaluation of heavy bleeding.

What Are The Treatment Options?

Drug Therapy is typically the first treatment option, consisting of oral contraceptives or other hormones that treat hormonal imbalances. This therapy is effective only about 50% of the time, and usually must be continued in order to remain effective. Some women have undesirable side effects, including headaches, weight change, and nausea.

Dilation and curettage (D & C) is frequently the second option if drug therapy is ineffective. It is a common surgical procedure that involves scraping of the inside of the uterus. However, for the majority of women with menorrhagia, it's only a temporary solution that reduces bleeding for a few cycles.

Endometrial ablation. If you do not plan to have any more children, your doctor may suggest minimally invasive surgical treatment options. Ablation is a minimally invasive treatment developed to reduce excessive menstrual bleeding in pre-menopausal women who are having heavy periods due to benign causes.

Ablation destroys a thin layer of the lining of the uterus. After the procedure most women will have light periods and a few women may have no periods at all. Although pregnancy is unlikely after ablation you need to keep using some form of birth control. Sterilization can also be performed at the time of ablation if desired.

The procedure which takes about 30 minutes to perform, is simple, minimally-invasive and can be performed in the office. It uses heat to treat the endometrium can be performed under local anesthesia and requires no incision. Recovery is fast - many women return to their normal activities the next day. After the procedure, most women can expect light to moderate periods, or possibly no periods at all. To date, more than 400,000 women worldwide have been treated with ablation.

Gynecare thermachoice is one type of ablation used by our practice and can be performed in our office. See What’s new - end heavy periods for more information.

Hysterectomy or surgical removal of the uterus is the only definitive treatment for menorrhagia. Hysterectomy is a major procedure, performed in the hospital under general anesthesia, and is accompanied by surgical risks, hospitalization, and, depending on the technique used, a recovery period of up to 6 weeks.

© 2007 Women Partners in OB-GYN