Body & Soul: Local doctor offers new procedure for women

By Josh Eiserike

Published: April 13, 2008

Maria Garcia was depressed. She was tired and short of breath, due to heavy menstrual bleeding.

Garcia, 43, of Stafford often felt fatigued and unable to participate in any of her children's after school activities.

"It was hard for me to do my job," Garcia, a registered nurse, said. "I was loosing so much blood. It really changed my life."

Garcia suffered from menorrhagia, a condition that typically comes prior to menopause, to some women in their late 30s and 40s. The most debilitating symptom is heavy menstrual bleeding.

"It's an incapacitating condition for a lot of women, their whole life revolves around their period," OBGYN Alf Adler said. "It causes a lot of emotional and physical distress."

Garcia got a blood transfusion in April 2006 and discussed options with Adler, her gynecologist.

They talked about the possibility of a hysterectomy. Adler also mentioned a relatively new procedure called endometrial ablation.

"It was really important for me not to lose a lot of time from work," Garcia said. "To me, surgery wasn't really an option."

This procedure has been out for about five years.

"Historically speaking, this kind of stuff was done in the 1930s, but it never had any popularity and it was very high risk," Adler said.

The updated procedure, done with the NovaSure Impedance Controlled Endometrial Ablation System, carries less risk than in the 1930s, he said.

"It's real simple," Adler continued. "It's a device, it's mesh at the end of the device that is inserted into the uterus."

The patient is put under anesthesia during the procedure. An electrical current moves through the gold-plated mesh to remove the inner lining of the uterus.

Adler said that at his practice, he's found around half of his patients stop bleeding or stop having periods as a result of the $2,000-to $4,000- procedure (depending on region and insurance company).

Some continue to have light periods and about two percent do not respond. In the second year, Adler said about 70 percent stop menstruating. It is nearly impossible to have children after the procedure, Adler said.

"Pregnancies, though rare, can happen," said Adler, who delivered all four of Garcia's children.

Traditionally, women have used birth control or have gotten a hysterectomy as a way to deal with heavy periods. A hysterectomy can put a woman out for six weeks due to pain. Adler said this procedure takes five to 10 minutes and can be done in the office. He advises patients to take a couple days off, but most are back on their feet on no time.

"This is a great alternative," Adler said. "It's minimally invasive because you don't really go through the abdomen, you go through the vaginal canal."

He also said there are "infinitesimally small" risks, as with any procedure. But he's never seen any complications, only a small percentage of women who don't respond.

"This procedure is God's gift to women, this is how I feel," Adler said. "This is an amazing, low risk procedure."

Garcia took a few months to decide, because it was still a new procedure. Then, she started seeing commercials for the procedure. After a miserable vacation on the Outer Banks, she decided to do it.

The next day she was back on her feet. She met her sister in Williamsburg and took her kids to Busch Gardens. She said she is no longer anemic, she no longer menstruates and she no longer has to take sick days.

"Truly my life has changed completely as a result," Garcia said. "I have encouraged and recommended to several of my nurse friends to have it done… It sure beats having to be laid up for six weeks for having a hysterectomy."

Staff writer Josh Eiserike can be reached at 703-8072 or .

Interested?

What: The Adler Center for Women's Health

Where: 2296 Opitz Blvd., Suite 35, Woodbridge

Call: 703-680-5327

Where: 385 Garrisonville Road, Suite 204 , Stafford

Call: 540-659-0928

E-mail: