Pelvic Ablation

[vaughanmk]

Ok, I need help. My mom called me wanting advice and I don't know a lot about it. She is 53 and has been having very heavy periods for years. Secondary to coumadin dosing for an artificial aortic valve. She has been extremely tired for about a year and the doctors think it is due to the menstral bleeding. Her Hgb stays around 7.0. The doctor wants her to decide between a pelvic ablation or partial hystorectomy. The Dr only gives the ablation a 50/50 shot of working.

I guess my question is what would you do? Go for the simple one, with only a few days off work or major surgery? Also, if you have any links where I can get information in regards to pelvic ablation I would greatly appreciate it.

[andre]

Here's a great site about endometrial ablation:

http://home.att.net/~endometrial_ablation/

My sister had this done a few months ago, and her heavy periods have stopped. I'm in the process of being worked up to see if this will help me, as well. I am much younger than your mom (37), so my options are the Mirena IUD, BCPs, or the ablation.

As for choosing between the ablation and a hysterectomy, the ablation is day surgery--even if it's only a 50/50 shot, it might be worth a try first? However, I would ask your mom what kind of diagnostics she's had to figure out whether this is an appropriate tx. My GYN is doing a pelvic/pap, an ultrasound, and an endometrial biopsy. I think some docs do a hysteroscopy. Because an ablation is not an appropriate treatment for precancerous or cancerous cells in the uterus, I would strongly suggest checking about the endo bx.

Good luck!

Andrea

[SmilingBluEyes]

Anecdotally, I agree w/the above poster. It's a 50/50 shot roughly that it will work. I would be willing to try that before hysterectomy myself, unless I had a strong history of female cancers in my family. I wish you and Mom the best!!!

[vaughanmk]

She has had the biopsy and everything came back normal. Her main problem is that the coumadin has made her blood sooo thin that she has been having heavy to moderate menstration for 3 months. Non-stop. It is not painful. They just can't get her to stop bleeding. I am worried that if she has the ablation, since it is a day surgery, she won't be converted to heparin and if something happens they can't get the bleeding to stop. There is the chance of after having an ablation that you can slough for 4-6 weeks, from what I understand. Another 4-6 weeks of bleeding could put her at frightening low hgb levels. Then they will have to wait a while to do the hysto.