Endometrial ablation with the neodymium:Yag laser.

The current study was designed to evaluate Nd:Yag laser endometrial ablation as an alternative to hysterectomy in women with uncontrolled benign uterine bleeding. The subjects were candidates for hysterectomy, had benign endometrial histology, had failed hormonal therapy and/or D&C, and did not desire future childbearing. Medication was given to render the endometrium atrophic, and treatment was carried out using a "touch" technique. Forty-two treated patients have been followed 3-36 months, with a success rate of 81%. Fourteen (33%) are amenorrheic and 13 (31%) estimate that they have less than 25% of their pretreatment flow. Those with uterine size over 10 cm or large submucous fibroids were usually excluded because of technical difficulty in performing the procedure. Treatment outcome was not related to patient weight, uterine size, or small intrauterine abnormalities. Twelve patients had medical conditions that were relative contraindications for hysterectomy, and 11 were treated successfully. Endometrial ablation with the Nd:Yag laser is an effective alternative to hysterectomy in patients with uncontrolled benign uterine bleeding.