Menorraghia — a condition marked by severe menstrual bleeding — currently affects 10 million women in the U.S., or about one in five women.
However, over the past few years, a treatment for this condition has gained popularity. NovaSure has been available in the U.S. since 2002, and is finally gaining popularity among women and doctors.
Even though the number of afflicted women is already high, “This is perhaps a bigger problem than we are aware of,” said Dr. Katherine Sutherland, an OB/GYN at El Camino Medical Group. “Many women are too embarrassed to discuss the issue with their doctors.”
Menorraghia usually occurs or worsens after giving birth. The condition is not necessarily life threatening, but it certainly can affect lifestyle, since afflicted women are often restricted to the home for fear of accidents. In extreme cases, loss of blood can lead to anemia, so women with menorraghia can suffer low energy or depression.
According to many medical professionals, NovaSure is the solution: a quick, safe and effective ablative procedure that cures abnormal menstrual bleeding. After local anesthesia, a pen-like instrument is inserted in the uterus and secretes a gold mesh that covers the entire uterine wall. The mesh burns the lining, and then the system registers completion and turns itself off.
In all, the procedure takes about five minutes. There are no hormones involved, and recovery time is less than 24 hours with very little pain.
Sutherland says she has performed it more than a hundred times, and that she’s pleased with the outcome.
“They can be performed in the office, which is much less invasive than going to the hospital,” she said. The success rate with NovaSure in the reduction or cessation of bleeding is reportedly about 97 percent.
Other options to stop uterine bleeding include hysterectomies, which remove the entire uterus, and hormone therapies such as IUDs that contain progesterone. The IUD, called Mirena, lasts four years but must be replaced thereafter. Periods will get lighter but they will not completely stop. Birth control is also an option, and there are a few other endometrial ablation procedures on the market.
However, Sutherland said, “Because the NovaSure procedure is easier to do, it is moving up on the list of possibilities. It used to be the last resort before hysterectomies.”
Sutherland notes that women who plan to have children in the future should not have this procedure performed. Also, no more than one endometrial ablation procedure can be performed on a woman. Also, NovaSure can’t be done on women who have had a myomectomy, a procedure that removes uterine fibers.
“The most important thing to consider before having the NovaSure procedure is to know the cause of bleeding,” Sutherland said. “You must first make sure that the bleeding isn’t the result of cancer or another serious disease.”
Women who are concerned with their bleeding should contact their doctor. Information about menorraghia is available online at www.aboutheavyperiods.com, and information about NovaSure is available at www.novasure.com.
E-mail Amber Cleave at acleave@mv-voice.com
