Women who have menorrhagia, or heavy menstrual bleeding, lose more blood during their period than woman who have normal periods. The MayoClinic.com explains that a woman with menorrhagia loses 81 mL compared to 30 to 44 mL for a woman without menorrhagia. One treatment option is endometrial ablation, in which the doctor removes the endometrium, or the lining of the uterus.
Reduced Menstrual Flow
A woman bleeds during her period because her body sheds the endometrium, which estrogen makes thicker in preparation for a pregnancy. If the woman does not become pregnant, the body breaks down the endometrium for release during menstruation. With the removal of the endometrium with endometrial ablation, the woman should have a reduced blood flow. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists points out that some woman may have lighter periods, while other women may have no menstruation after the procedure. If the endometrial ablation does not control the bleeding, then the woman may have to undergo another procedure like a hysterectomy, in which the surgeon removes the uterus.
Decreased Fertility
Since endometrial ablation removes the lining of the uterus, the woman will have problems becoming pregnant. When the egg becomes fertilized and travels to the uterus, it becomes implanted in the endometrium. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does not recommend endometrial ablation to women who want to become pregnant in the future, as women who become pregnant after an endometrial ablation have a high risk of miscarriage. Nevertheless, endometrial ablation is not a sterilization procedure, so women may still become pregnant, though they may not be able to carry the pregnancy to full term.
Difficulty Detecting Uterine Cancer
The University of Maryland Medical Center points out that a negative effect of endometrial ablation is an increased difficulty detecting uterine cancer. Signs of uterine cancer include irregular vaginal bleeding, or if the woman has reached menopause, postmenopausal bleeding. With the removal of the endometrium, these women would not have the abnormal bleeding, which would alert the doctor to check for possible cancer. Women who have undergone an endometrial ablation still need to have regular examinations, such as a Pap smear.
Discharge
Some women who have an endometrial ablation may have vaginal discharge after the procedure. This vaginal discharge may occur along with menstrual-like cramps, which last a few days, and frequent urination, which occurs during the first 24 hours after surgery. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that the vaginal discharge can appear watery or bloody, though it should only happen for a few weeks and is not a lasting effect of the endometrial ablation.
