The Role of Endometrial Ablation in Treating Uterine Fibroids: How to prepare?

Are you suffering from heavy bleeding or long menstrual periods? If yes, you might be suffering from uterine fibroids, which are growths made from tissue and muscles on or in the wall of the uterus. Most of them are benign, however, some cause symptoms in people. Treatment can be done with long-term medication or surgery. When it comes to surgery, endometrial ablation is a good option for people who don’t want to get pregnant in the future and live their lives without worrying too much about medication. In this procedure, the wall lining of the uterus is removed surgically which makes your periods lighter (or stop completely in some cases). Learn how you can prepare for endometrial ablation procedure in this article. Schedule an appointment at Doral Health and Wellness – Women’s Health Center.

 

How to prepare?

For preparation, the doctor asks about your medical history, including any allergies you have. If you and your doctor are ready to move forward with the procedure, the doctor will tell you what evaluation and guidelines you need to follow before the procedure. It includes:

  1. Taking a pregnancy check: This procedure can’t be performed if you’re
  2. Check for cancer: The doctor inserts a thin tube through the cervix to collect a small sample of the endometrium to do a biopsy of abnormal cells to check for cancer.
  3. Examine your uterus: Your doctor may examine your uterus by using an ultrasound or MRI. For that, you may need to go through a procedure that uses a thin device with a light, called a scope, to look inside your uterus. This procedure is called hysteroscopy. These tests can help your provider choose which endometrial ablation to use.
  4. Remove an IUD (Intrauterine Device), if you’ve had one inserted: This procedure can’t be done with an IUD in place.
  5. Thin your endometrium: Some endometrial ablation procedures need uterine thinning before the procedure works better. Your doctor may prescribe some medicine to thin your lining. Another option is a dilation and curettage procedure. In this procedure, your doctor uses a special tool to remove extra tissue from the lining of the uterus.
  6. Check your medication: Your provider will check the medicines you’re taking to ensure that they don’t cause problems during the procedure.
  7. Talk about anesthesia options: This procedure needs to be done under sedation and pain medicine which includes numbing shots into the cervix and uterus. However, sometimes general anesthesia is used, which means you’re in a sleep-like state during the procedure.

On the procedure day, you need to follow these guidelines:

  • Ask a friend or family member to pick you up after the procedure.
  • Keep a fast (no food or drink) 8 hours before the procedure.

No matter what type of endometrial ablation you have, you need someone who takes you home afterward. You should also bring a sanitary napkin with you to use after the procedure is completed. You may experience some changes after the procedure. It’s normal, which can be managed with medication which you can discuss with your doctor. These are signs you may experience after the procedure, including:

  • Feeling nauseous.
  • You may need to pass more urine during the first 24 hours after the procedure.
  • You may experience cramps for the first few days. For that, you can take non-prescription pain-relief medicine such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve your cramps.
  • You may have light bleeding or pink discharge for a few weeks afterward. It is generally the heaviest on day 2 and day 3 after you have had your procedure. This bleeding happens from the uterus lining that was destroyed so that you don’t experience a heavy period later.

You can also consult your doctor about when you can return to your usual activities, such as exercise, work, and sex. During your follow-up visit, the doctor examines your healing.

 

If you need help with heavy bleeding, visit or call our gynecology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical support. At Doral Health and Wellness – Women’s Health Center, we have the best GYN doctor in Brooklyn, and we provide women with quality health care services. To schedule an appointment, you can visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call us on 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at http://www.gynecologistbrooklyn.com/.