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Menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding) - Management
What surgical treatments are available in secondary care?
- Surgical treatments are almost always used as second-line options in the treatment of menorrhagia, despite the long-term effectiveness (and irreversible nature) of surgery. A systematic review found that surgery improved control of bleeding compared with pharmaceutical treatments after 5 years (OR 1.99, 95% CI 0.84 to 4.73). However, this does not take into account the reversibility of pharmaceutical treatments and other risks with surgery.
- Surgery should be reserved for:
- Use on the woman's request (following full counselling on the advantages and disadvantages).
- Difficult-to-treat cases where pharmaceutical treatment has failed to be sufficiently effective or is contraindicated.
[National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health, 2007]
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