Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
How you prepare
By Mayo Clinic staffIn the weeks before the procedure, your doctor may:
- Check for cancer. Your doctor may take a small sample of your endometrium — using a narrow tool inserted through the opening of your cervix — so it can be tested for cancer. If you have cancer, you'll probably need to have a hysterectomy instead of endometrial ablation.
- Thin your endometrium. Endometrial ablation is often more successful when the uterine lining is thin. This can be accomplished with medications or by having a dilation and curettage (D&C), a procedure in which a doctor scrapes out the extra tissue.
- Discuss anesthesia options. Some methods of endometrial ablation require general anesthesia, so you are asleep and feel nothing during the procedure. Other types of the procedure may be performed with conscious sedation or with numbing shots into your cervix and uterus.
References
- Frequently asked questions. Special procedures FAQ134. Endometrial ablation. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/~/media/25741BBE1E6F447F91C89B8BEF9505F8.ashx. Accessed Sept. 4, 2012.
- Sharp HT. An overview of endometrial ablation. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 4, 2012.
- Fothergill RE. Endometrial ablation in the office setting. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 2008;35:317.
- Zacur HA. Chronic menorrhagia or anovulatory uterine bleeding. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 4, 2012.
- Lentz GM, et al. Comprehensive Gynecology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-323-06986-1&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-06986-1..C2009-0-48752-X--TOP. Accessed Sept. 4, 2012.
- Sharp HT. Endometrial ablation: Non-resectoscopic techniques. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 5, 2012.
- Hopkins MR (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 28, 2012.
Find Mayo Clinic on