Adherence to published guidelines for the management of menorrhagia in women undergoing second generation endometrial ablation.

Second-generation endometrial ablation techniques provide an effective surgical treatment option for women with menorrhagia. Their ease of use might result in inappropriate surgical treatment without previous medical therapy. We sought to establish local compliance with national guidelines following the recent introduction of second generation ablation techniques into routine practice. We collected data at the time of ablation on the preceding medical management of women undergoing either microwave endometrial ablation or thermal balloon ablation. One hundred and thirty-two consecutive women underwent second-generation endometrial ablation. At least one medical treatment (range 1-5) was used before ablation in 86% of women. The majority (86%) of women undergoing a second-generation endometrial ablation technique received at least one effective medical therapy before surgical intervention, indicating a high level of compliance with published guidelines.