Thermal balloon ablation in myoma-induced menorrhagia under local anesthesia

Objective: Our purposes were to compare the impact of surgery on menstrual blood flow reduction and on the increase in hemoglobin values as primary en dpoints at 12 months, and operating time, complication rates, postoperative pain scores at 12 h and surgically induced amenorrhea rates at 12 months a s secondary endpoints after roller ball endometrial ablation or thermal bal loon ablation for myoma-induced menorrhagia, Materials and Methods: Menorrh agic women (documented by a validated pad scoring system) over 40 years of age, with a mobile myomatous uterus smaller than 12-week pregnancy, were en rolled in a prospective randomized trial to compare endometrial roller ball ablation and thermal balloon ablation after pharmacological endometrial th inning. One year after surgery, primary and secondary endpoints in both gro ups were compared. Results: Forty-five subjects underwent endometrial therm al balloon ablation under local anesthesia and 48 underwent endometrial rol ler ball ablation under general anesthesia. Statistically significant but s imilar decreases in mean pictorial blood assessment score and increases in mean hemoglobin values were noted for both groups at 12 months. Those who u nderwent endometrial roller ball ablation had experienced significantly mor e intraoperative complications. Conclusion: Thermal balloon ablation under local anesthesia for myoma-induced menorrhagia provided both significant an d statistically similar reductions in menstrual blood flow and increases in hemoglobin values with no intraoperative complication compared to roller b all endometrial ablation, Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.