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Endometrial Ablation For Heavy Periods Specialist

Westover Hills Women's Health Our Services Endometrial Ablation for Heavy Periods
Westover Hills Women's Health - - OBGYN

Westover Hills Women's Health

OBGYNs located in San Antonio, TX

If heavy periods are affecting your quality of life, then you might want to consider endometrial ablation to lighten or stop a heavy period without hormones. Houmam Al-Hakeem, MD, at Westover Hills Women’s Health in San Antonio, Texas, can help relieve you from heavy menstrual cycles with efficient and effective minimally invasive treatments. For more information on endometrial ablation, call the office or schedule an appointment online.

Endometrial Ablation for Heavy Periods Q & A

How does endometrial ablation treat heavy periods?

Heavy periods affect 1 in 5 women. Endometrial ablation uses heat to free you from heavy periods. The treatment works by destroying or ablating, the lining of your uterus, which is called the endometrium, the source of your heavy periods.

Dr. Al-Hakeem at Westover Hills Women’s Health often recommends endometrial ablation in cases where:


  • You’re experiencing unusually heavy periods (Soaking a pad or tampon every two hours or less)
  • Your periods last longer than eight days
  • You have anemia due to excessive blood loss


If medications or an IUD have proven unsuccessful in treating heavy menstrual bleeding, you may be the right candidate for endometrial ablation to lighten or end your periods. 

Are there different kinds of endometrial ablation for heavy periods?

Dr. Al-Hakeem usually recommends Minerva or NovaSure® endometrial ablation. Both use targeted energy to remove the lining of your uterus. Both also are quick outpatient procedures performed in the convenience of Dr. Al-Hakeem’s office. 

What is Minerva endometrial ablation?

This procedure uses a balloon device to send targeted plasma energy to remove your endometrium. Dr. Al-Hakeem first slightly opens your cervix and inserts a slender wand containing the Minerva balloon. The balloon expands in your uterus to fit the size and shape. 

A combination of radio frequency energy and ionized Argon gas create plasma energy, which penetrates your endometrial lining for 120 seconds. Dr. Al-Hakeem deflates the balloon and removes the device. 

Your total time from insertion to removal is 3-4 minutes. You can go home that day. In a clinical study, the treatment reduced heavy menstrual bleeding to normal levels or better among 92% of patients.  

What is NovaSure endometrial ablation?

Similar to the Minerva procedure, Dr. Al-Hakeem slightly opens your cervix to insert a slender wand. The wand contains a mesh device, which expands to fit the shape and size of your uterus.

The mesh delivers precise doses of radio frequency energy for about 90 seconds to remove your endometrial lining. The device then retracts inside the wand, which Dr. Al-Hakeem pulls from your uterus. 

The NovaSure procedure dramatically reduced or stopped menstrual bleeding for 77% of women who opted for the treatment, although results vary from person to person.


If you’re ready to be free of heavy periods, call Westover Hills Women’s Health today or book a consultation online with Dr. Al-Hakeem.

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