Heavy periods in young women are almost invariably due to abnormal ovulation cycles or polycystic ovarian changes.
The key question is this: “Is your family complete?”
Hormonal suppression with the oral contraceptive pill once a scan has been completed and blood tests excluding rare conditions that affect blood-clotting profile have been conducted. Occasionally, over-use of certain Chinese herbal supplements can also have a dramatic effect on a woman’s menstrual periods.
In women with a completed family the option of continued medications is available, as are three surgical options:
- IUD implant: reversible, present for up to five years at patient’s discretion
- endometrial ablation: removing the inner lining of the uterus permanently
- total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH): when indicated, virtually always completed as a keyhole procedure, necessitating one or two days in hospital, back to work/driving within seven to twenty-one days.
