Update second opinion! Endometrial ablation?

[Guyot]

So have some questions and unfortunately not very happy with my dr which is a very long story…

So anyone with experience with the good the bad about this procedure? And what made you choose this vs managing with medication.

Short history, I’m 47 and I have had very bad anemia which sent me to the dr last spring and I’m on iron supplements and after a lot of ultrasounds and a biopsy there is no cancer thankfully! There are fibroid’s and some small polyps (which evidently are now not showing on the ultrasound)

I’ve been able to manage my periods with medication the last 7 months quite well and reading about ablation I’m personally not sure it’s necessary, but I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve been jerked around by my dr (and two different insurance companies)

So any advise and or info would be helpful! TIA

[TXPiaffe]

I had horrible, heavy periods and had an ablation done about 10 years ago. I would absolutely do it again, only sooner! BC pills did nothing to slow anything down. Now I have maybe 2-3 days of light period and that is it.

[candyappy]

I know nothing of this condition but I did have a problem with abnormally heavy periods, multiple fibroids and anemia and my OBGYN just did a partial hysterectomy ? I was 44 and not looking to have any more children.

Is that not an option at your age? Anytime you can get rid of the whole menstrual cycle is a good thing in my book. I know some women feel differently.

[trubandloki]

I can not give you personal experience about ablation (I chose to have my uterus removed when I was in the situation where fibroids lead to horrible bleeding and nothing was helping) but I have two friends who have done it and they both said it had amazing results.

One of those friends is the type of woman who felt she had to do everything possible before removing her uterus (she was done using it but felt strongly about not losing it). The other woman ablation is what her doctor offered so she did it, her doctor did not offer removal of the uterus and she did not think to ask about it.

[eclipse]

I too can’t give any advise on ablation, but did have a total hysterectomy along with both ovaries 5 weeks ago. Best decision ever! I too was getting heavy periods due t9 fibroids and uterine thickening (mine was brought on by my medication but still awful)! Pathology also showed cysts, polyps and more fibroids than initially though but no cancer! I’d had a D&C a year previously but that was only a temporary fix, and due to my age (55) I chose to get rid of everything. Honestly, 8m glad and never having to deal with the “murder scene” periods that had started is a load off my chest……let’s not even start about now not worrying about getting a period at a horse show!

[trubandloki]

@eclipse

“murder scene” periods

This is the best way to describe them that I have ever heard. Love it. So freaking true.

[Weezer]

I’m really interested in this topic as I have occasional extreme pain due to fibroids (maybe 3 or 4 times a year). Part of me thinks I should just continue to manage it until it becomes a consistent problem, and part of me thinks that I shouldn’t have to suffer at all if there’s a solution. I’m 40, no kids, no plan for kids. I also love the idea of a partial hysterectomy, but I shy away from invasive surgery. What’s the recovery like with an ablation?

[Guyot]

So my “murder scene” periods are almost completely controlled with medication. I guess that’s why I’m questioning doing a surgery at this time. Well that and my dr has been very passive aggressive. I do have a second opinion scheduled for the 1st.

I think the recovery is a few days of feeling absolute crap and I was told two weeks no riding…. But again from my dr who I do not trust at this point soooo…

[starrunner]

I had one done last year. Easy peasy recovery. I felt fine the same day and I think riding a week later.

I had the option of a hysterectomy but I didn’t want to take that much time off work or out of the saddle.

It doesn’t necessarily help cramps if that’s the issue, but just the murder scenes.

[akstaj]

I had it done, it only worked/lasted for about 3 years. I wish I would have skipped it and went straight to the hysterectomy, best decision I ever made. No complications easy peasy.

[eclipse]

Even with hysterectomy, if it can be done laprascopic the recovery is easy! I have 3 tiny incisions that never hurt at all and I was home the same day! The hardest part is no lifting, no exercise except walking for 6 weeks (and that’s because they do a vaginal cuff) ….my D&C actually felt worse because I had cramping after ….now if a hysterectomy ends up being abdominal that would take it into a whole different realm!

[cutter99]

I did not have an ablation, but had an emergency radical hysterectomy at the age of 52 a few years back. I had experienced 40+ days of severe bleeding, to the point of not being able to leave the house and anemia. I had the option to do an ablation previously as well as a hysterectomy, and thought I could just wait it out until menopause hit, but my body had other ideas. I knew I would have to have a full abdominal incision due to scar tissue from a previous hysterectomy, and my lifestyle made the recovery more inconvenient due to restrictions.

I have not regretted the hysterectomy for one moment. I wish I had done it sooner. I had a fibroid sitting on my cervix the size of a three month pregnancy that was causing the severe bleeding and pain, multiple other fibroidsmultiple cysts on both ovaries, and adenomyosis, which can lead to cancer. My doctor said I was the proud owner of one very angry uterus!

Not one single regret!

[hoopoe]

@Guyot. I think in your case you should look in to the long term use of your medication. Make sure you and your doctor are clear. Are there long term effects?

Might they become no longer useful and what would be the next step . In that situation, might the next step be more and what is usually a more straight forward procedure?

Hope you can find your answers and a good resolution

[Guyot]

Thanks hoopoe… I think the second opinion next week I may just switch doctors if I like them… I’m certainly not very pleased with my current dr and quite frankly don’t trust the advise I’ve been given which makes it hard to make a decision.

Why is it actually easier to get info for our horses then ourselves and so much less control to manage our own health… so frustrating!!

[hoopoe]

I wish I knew. I think many women are ill served when it comes to issues of their reproductive organs. So many women suffer with ill health due to painful and excessive periods. For them they suffer while doctors pat their hands saying , no you cannot have a hysterectomy, you may wish to have children later.

I hope you find your answers and get clear information needed to make a wise decision. There ARE good doctors out there but sadly , we have to advocate for ourselves to find them

The second opinion and you having that inner doubt is a good sign you are advocating for yourself

[trubandloki]

I am glad you are getting a second opinion. I had to change doctors to get my hysterectomy.

I stupidly backed down every time I went to the doctor and brought up how much I was bleeding (and then it became how few days a month I was not bleeding), when the doctor would say ‘but it is not a problem, right?’. I felt like I must be making it a problem when it shouldn’t be.
When I finally stomped my feet and said it was a problem, this doctor wanted me to try every last option before removing the uterus. I was old enough that even if I wanted to have kids (I did not) it would have been difficult if my uterus was not filled with fibroids, so the doctor’s desire to keep my angry uterus made me try someone else. The second doctor offered all kinds of options, discussed them. I picked - take that thing out - the doctor said ok.
But really, the second doctor was great because it felt like they listened and we discussed options. Not just a doctor saying that I had to do this or that.

[eclipse]

I too am glad you’re getting a 2nd opinion. I think womens health issues are frustrating in every country……when I had my D&C I’d seen just a regular OBGYN, and while she was a lovely dr and knew my history of breast cancer and the Tamoxifen causing the uterine issues, she didn’t want to do a hysterectomy because the polyp was “negative “ and she normally didn’t deal with patients like me. So this time my oncologist just sent me straight to an OBGYN that deals with cancer and she didn’t question my oncologist and my request for the full hysterectomy….she just knew it should be done to prevent any further and future issues! Sometimes it just takes that one person that’s more familiar with “why” instead of the “normal” ….sigh……

I’m in Canada, and the my cousin who’s in the UK, has your exact same issue! And, because she was in her 40s drs didn’t want to do a hysterectomy because “she may have another child!”….no, she knew “no more” and she knew she didn’t want to live with the pain anymore……I just don’t understand why women everywhere, have to fight so damn hard to get absolute body control! For her, she finally got the hysterectomy, but it took seeing a few different drs!

[Djones]

I had an ablation done about 10 years ago? I was mildly uncomfortable for a few days at most, then good to go. I had always had awful periods and the attendant side effects, and was so glad to be done with all of that!

[akstaj]

my experience was the same

[trubandloki]

@eclipse

“she may have another child!”

This answer confused me. I asked (doctor 1) if my uterus would hold onto a pregnancy after the fibroid was removed and the ablation procedure and he told me that it was highly unlikely that it would. (Do not make any life decisions based off of this comment!)

So, what exactly is the advantage of leaving it there if it will not work right anyway?