Menorrhagia is a common problem in women of reproductive age. This disorder often exists in the absence of organic lesions of the endometrium and continues to be the underlying reason for more than one-third of the hysterectomies performed annually in the United States. Over the last three decades, hysteroscopic endometrial ablation has proven to be a cost-effective and patients accepted it as a surgical alternative to hysterectomy. Clinical efficacy of ablation compared with hysterectomy has been documented. However, success rate for ablation is optimized after weeks of preoperative medical regimens aimed at thinning the endometrium and the techniques requires extensive hysteroscopic training. In addition, general anesthesia is usually necessary and unique intra-operative complications result from hemorrhage, uterine perforation, and intravascular fluid overload from distention media. Uterine thermal balloon therapy was developed in an effort to simplify the ablative procedure and to provide efficient treatment that parallels traditional hysteroscopic modalities.
Last date updated on September, 2014
