The Benefits of Treatment in a Familiar Office Setting

Heavy periods are one of the most common health issues women share with their doctors.¹ If you suffer from heavy or persistent bleeding or severe menstrual cramps, consider making an appointment with your gynecologist to talk through next steps for diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately, there are many treatment options available, including procedures that can be performed in the comfort of your doctor’s office.

Diagnosing Heavy Periods

During your appointment, your OB/GYN will perform both physical and pelvic exams to look for any larger problems that could cause heavy menstrual bleeding, or “menorrhagia”. If more information is needed after these exams, your doctor may order additional tests, such as:²

• A pelvic ultrasound to search for polyps (small growths) or fibroids (benign masses) inside your uterus
• Bloodwork to look for anemia, thyroid dysfunction, or bleeding disorders
• A hysteroscopy to visualize the inside of your uterus with a small lighted scope
• An endometrial biopsy to search for signs of disease on a cellular level

After making a diagnosis, your doctor will discuss which treatments they think will provide the most effective relief. The first category is medical therapies, which include over-the-counter pain medications (Advil, Motrin, Aleve), antifibrinolytic medications that reduce blood loss and promote clotting, and hormone therapies like birth control pills or an intrauterine device (IUD).²

If these treatments do not provide enough relief, or you are unable to to use or tolerate these medications, your doctor may recommend a surgical procedure to scrape tissue out of your uterus (dilation & curettage), destroy the tissue lining the inside of your uterus (endometrial ablation), or remove your uterus entirely (hysterectomy).²

Why You Should Consider In-office Endometrial Ablation

Of the available surgical treatments for heavy periods, endometrial ablation offers a less invasive alternative proven to successfully reduce excessive bleeding and painful cramping.³ Because the ablation treatment is minimally invasive, it is associated with shorter recovery times and fewer surgical complications than a hysterectomy — and it can be safely performed in the familiarity and comfort of your doctor’s office.³

Ablations have historically been performed in an operating room environment where general anesthesia or a form of sedation could be used for pain management.⁴ Moreover, using any amount of sedation for pain control requires additional monitoring before, during, and after the procedure. This means patients typically spend several extra hours in the care of their provider, rather than leaving shortly after the procedure. 

However, a newer technology using cryotherapy creates a well-tolerated treatment option without the need for general anesthesia or intravenous (IV) sedation. For many patients, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or a paracervical block (numbing agent injected into the cervix before treatment) are enough to reduce procedural pain or discomfort.⁴

While in-office treatment offers a more patient-friendly ablation experience, doctors may recommend in-patient surgery for patients with certain health conditions (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.) in order to more closely monitor their condition.⁴

How the Cerene® Cryotherapy Device Can Help

Endometrial ablation can be performed with either heating or cooling (cryotherapy) technology, but cryotherapy delivers an additional pain-relieving effect during treatment for a well-tolerated procedure. The Cerene Cryotherapy Device uses the cooling agent nitrous oxide for the ablation treatment, which numbs local uterine nerves while freezing the tissue lining the uterine cavity (the endometrium).

Cerene’s added source of pain control has the ability to improve procedural tolerability and patient experience. A recent study found that among the patients who received the Cerene treatment in their doctor’s offices, 97% only needed a paracervical block and oral medication for pain control. No patients received general anesthesia as part of their treatment. Patients reported minimal pain during the procedure, with a median pain score of 2 out of 10 during treatment.⁴

With Cerene, patients can experience effective relief from heavy periods without full sedation or severe procedural pain. 90% of patients saw an improvement in bleeding patterns (normal, light, or no periods)^* and 86% report a reduction in severe cramping after one year.^† Likewise, 95% of patients said they would recommend Cerene to their family and friends.^‡

Ask your doctor about in-office endometrial ablation with Cerene today.

Learn more at https://www.cerene.com/patients/.

* Patient-reported data are 1 year after treatment with durable results at 3 years

^† Improvement reported one year after treatment for patients reporting severe/very severe cramping

^‡ Patient-reported data include definitely and consider recommending Cerene and are 1 year after treatment with durable results at 3 years

Key Takeaways:

• If you suspect you have heavy periods, make an appointment with your doctor for physical and pelvic exams along with other testing for an accurate diagnosis.
• Treatments for heavy periods include either medical therapies or surgical procedures, one of which is endometrial ablation.
• Endometrial ablation can be safely performed in the office setting, and Cerene’s cryotherapy technology creates an effective and well-tolerated treatment without the need for sedation.

Important Safety Information

Cerene® Cryotherapy Device is indicated to ablate the endometrial lining of the uterus in premenopausal women with heavy menstrual bleeding due to benign causes for whom childbearing is complete. Pregnancy following the Cerene procedure can be dangerous; therefore, contraception must be used until menopause. The Cerene procedure is not for those who have or suspect uterine cancer; have an active genital, urinary or pelvic infection; or an IUD. There are risks and considerations associated with the use of the Cerene Cryotherapy Device. Temporary side effects may include uterine cramping, vaginal infection, and lightheadedness. For detailed benefit and risk information, consult the Cerene Instructions for Use (IFU) or your healthcare professional. Learn more >

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Sources:

1. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding. (n.d.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/blooddisorders/women/menorrhagia.html 
2. Kaunitz, A.M., Barbieri, R.L., Chakrabarti, A. (2022, November 8). Patient education: Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia) (Beyond the Basics). UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/heavy-or-prolonged-menstrual-bleeding-menorrhagia-beyond-the-basics#
3. Kumar, V., Chodankar, R., Gupta, J.K. (2016). Endometrial Ablation for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding. Women’s Health (London) 12(1), 45-52.
4. Curlin, H. (2022, November 4). Endometrial ablation in the office setting. Contemporary OB/GYN Journal 67(11).