Use of the levonorgestrel-IUD in the treatment of menorrhagia: improving patient outcomes while reducing the need for surgical management.

Menorrhagia impairs the quality of life and often leads to hysterectomy. Although hysterectomy provides definitive management of menorrhagia, the procedure is associated with morbidity, permanent sterility, and high cost. Alternative treatments, including pharmaceuticals, intrauterine devices, and other minor surgical procedures are less invasive and less expensive. In particular, the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), a nonsurgical, reversible treatment, provides effective management for many women with menorrhagia while minimizing morbidity and health care costs.