Thermachoice Ablation

What is Endometrial Ablation?

When a woman suffers with debilitating and painful periods it can disrupt normal life. The obstetrics and gynecology providers at Northwestern Women’s Health Associates can provide treatment for extremely heavy periods with a procedure called Endometrial Ablation.

What is Thermachoice Ablation?

Thermachoice ablation is a non-hormonal treatment for extremely heavy periods.

The procedure is done in the Northwestern Women’s Health Associates Chicago office. There are no incisions involved in the procedure making it very easy to recover from. In fact, many patients are able to return to regular activities the very next day.

The procedure is done in 4 steps:

1. A flexible silicone balloon attached to a catheter is inserted into the uterus of the patient. The balloon is inserted vaginally passing through the vagina canal and the cervix into the uterus.
2. The balloon is filled with a liquid that inflates it and contours the walls of the uterus.
3. The fluid is heated and circulated within the uterus for 8 minutes. This process treats the endometrial lining of the uterus.
4. Once the treatment is complete the liquid is removed from the balloon and the catheter is removed. Over the next 7-10 days the uterine lining sheds. This part of the process mimics a menstrual period.

What Happens After Thermachoice Ablation?

After the procedure is complete patients can return home. The following day most patients can return to normal activity. A follow-up appointment will be scheduled 7-10 days afterwards. At this check-up the doctor will advise if the patient can return to normal sexual activity. There may be a few heavy menstrual cycles after the procedure but overtime they will. 20-30% of women will never have another menses and 60% will be much lighter.

Women who are considering Thermachoice ablation should be confident that they do not want any children or have finished having children. Once the procedure is complete it will be highly unlikely to become pregnant and if they do it would probably fail so birth control is still needed.

Is Thermachoice Ablation Right For You?

Menstrual periods are a part of a women’s life as are the accompanying cramps and bloating. However 3 out of 10 women experience periods that are heavier than normal. The medical term for this condition is menorrhagia.

You may want to talk to your OBGYN in Chicago about Thermachoice ablation if you have the following symptoms during your menstrual cycle.

• Menstrual cycle lasting longer than 4-6 days
• Blood clots are passed during the menstrual cycle
• A fresh pad or tampon is required every one to two hours for more than a couple hours
• The cramping and menstrual pain is so severe that it makes normal activities a challenge
• If you can’t leave the house since bleeding is so heavy.

Once your doctor has confirmed that you have menorrhagia there is further criteria that you need to meet to in order to be a candidate for Thermachoice ablation.

Candidates for Thermachoice ablation must be confident they are finished having children and are also pre-menopausal and interested in retaining their uterus. Your recent pap smear tests need to have been normal. Your doctor will need to make sure that there are not other treatable causes for the heavy bleeding.

Most candidates have tried to control heavy periods with the use of birth control pills before considering this option.

Thermachoice ablation is a great choice for women who would prefer not to treat their heavy periods with hormone therapy.

If you have been suffering with heavy periods that interrupt your daily life, it’s time to ask your OBGYN in Chicago, “what is Endometrial ablation and is it right for me?” Taking the initiative to schedule an appointment is the first step to finding relief from heavy periods.

Visit the Gynecare Thermachoice Ablation website for more information.