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Menstrual Blood Loss Measured 5–6 Years After Endometrial Ablation

From the Sydney Centre for Reproductive Health Research, Family Planning NSW, Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia; the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, King George V and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.

Address reprint requests to: Raewyn Teirney, MBChB, MRACOG Royal Hospital for Women Department of Reproductive Medicine Barker Street Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia

Objective: To examine objectively the long-term efficacy of endometrial ablation for menorrhagia.

Methods: Thirty-nine women with menorrhagia due to ovulatory dysfunctional bleeding treated previously by rollerball ablation were followed up 5–6 years later. Menstrual blood in sanitary towels was measured with the alkaline hematin technique in 26 women who were still premenopausal and in whom menstrual blood loss had been measured before and immediately after the original ablation.

Results: Mean (± standard deviation [SD]) menstrual blood loss (per menstrual period) was reduced from 90 mL ± 14.4 before ablation to 3.8 mL ± 2.1 at 3 months, 1.8 mL ± 1.0 at 6 months, and 3.3 mL ± 1.3 at 5–6 years after ablation. In women who were still menstruating, the mean hemoglobin concentration rose significantly from 126 to 135 g/L (P = .022).

Conclusion: Rollerball endometrial ablation is a highly effective long-term therapy for carefully selected women with menorrhagia due to ovulatory dysfunctional uterine bleeding.