How is endometrial ablation done?
Endometrial ablation has traditionally been done using a hysteroscope. The procedure was developed by Dr. Goldrath in 1979 using a Nd:YAG laser. I did the first endometrial ablation in Northern California in 1985 using the laser. My results using the laser were excellent, but because of research done by myself and others, I switched to an instrument called a resectoscope. The resectoscope is a special type of telescope that allows me to see inside the uterus. It has a built in wire loop that uses high-frequency electrical energy to cut or coagulate tissue. The resectoscope has the advantage of being able to remove polyps and some fibroids at the time of ablation. In results reported to the FDA where resectoscopic endometrial ablation was done by experts, the success rate was approximately 95%, with 40% of women having no bleeding whatsoever in 1 year. In my own patients treated with the resectoscope as part of those trials, 58% of women had no bleeding at all after 1 year. It takes ext
