A recent report in the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology suggests that endometrial ablation for young women with heavy menses may eventually lead to hysterectomy (surgical excision of the uterus).  There are times when surgical interventions are necessary, but it is important to consider that surgery is a radical intervention.  As a naturopathic physician, when a patient comes in with any signs or symptoms, the most important question that I always ask is ‘why‘.  My role is to treat the underlying cause of any condition, in this case it pertains to heavy menstruation.  Why does this woman experience heavy menstruation?  Could it be due to hormonal imbalance, ovarian dysfunction, complications of the pregnancy, uterine fibroids, or any number of issues? 

Endometrial ablation scars the tissue, which ultimately reduces or prevents future bleeding.  A normal function of the female reproductive organs is to shed the endometrial lining every month until menopause.  As this recent report suggests, for younger women who undergo endometrial ablation hysterectomy is a likely outcome.  Unfortunately, a large number of physicians view hysterectomies very light-heartedly, these procedures are becoming almost routine.  Whether it is endometrial ablation or hysterectomy, aside from the physical rehabilitaion they tend to ignore two other important aspects of women’s health and that is both mental and emotional.  These extreme interventions are not addressing the underlying cause of the problem, and on the contrary they may be creating more of a problem.