There are two great procedures for women that can now be performed right in the office that have traditionally been done in the operating room. One is an in-office procedure for permanent birth contro (Essure)l, which has been traditionally referred to as a tubal ligation. The other is a treatment for heavy or irregular menstrual periods called an endometrial ablation (Novasure).
Similar procedures to these have been around for decades but in the last several years there have been significant advancements. These advances now allow us to perform these procedures right into the office because they require minimal pain medication, no incisions, and little to no recovery.
What are the advantages of having the procedure perfromed in the office? What is important to know is that the procedures in the office are the SAME procedures that are done in the operating room- the same instruments and the same doctor. However, there are several advantages to having it done in a doctor’s office:
· There is no general anesthesia and no incisions
· Significant time savings– you will only spend 30-45 minutes in the office as opposed to over 3 hours in the hospital
· Less cost- the procedure cost significant less in the office by avoiding high operating room costs
In-office permanent birth control
Permanenet birth control may be the right option for women who have already completed their families. Again, these procedures are performed these right in the office. The patient is given a small amount of medication to keep them comfortable and relaxed. Then, we look into the uterus with a small camera and insert a coil or small plug into the fallopian tubes. There are no incisions, no hormones, and it takes less than 10 minutes. The procedure is over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. To learn more, visit www.essure.com and www.adiana.com.
Endometrial Ablation
Endometrial Ablation an excellent option for the treatment of abnormal menstrual bleeding. Endometrial Ablation is an in-office procedure that destroys the majority of, if not all, of the endometrial lining that women shed on a regular basis so menses cease or become minimal.
It is a procedure that gives some woman with heavy or irregular periods more options than a hysterectomy or taking hormones. After this procedure over 90% of women have NO periods of very light periods. It should not be performed on women that are still interested in having children though, but fortunately, there are other options for those women as well.
Again, we perform the procedure right in our office. The patient is given a small amount of medication to keep them comfortable and relaxed. After looking at the lining of the uterus with a small camera, a device is placed into the cavity and heated for less than 2 minutes. The procedure takes less than 10 minutes and the patient is able to go home with minimal discomfort. To learn more, visit www.novasure.com.
Please schedule an appointment if you would like to see if either of these procedures may be right for you-we would like to help.
