Does hydrothermal ablation avoid hysterectomy? Long-term follow-up

OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the long-term success rate of the HydroThermAblator system (HTA). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 376 patients who underwent HTA at our hospital during an 8-year period, following case note review and distribution of a validated menorrhagia questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 43 years. Operative complications included 3 women (0.8%) who experienced intraoperative burns. Of the 248 (66%) returned questionnaires, satisfaction rates were high at 77%. The amenorrhea rate was 38%, with a further 37% of women reporting a substantial decrease in their blood loss. In all, 29 (11%) women underwent subsequent hysterectomy for persistent menorrhagia or dysmenorrhea. Younger women had a significantly higher chance of proceeding to subsequent (P < .05) hysterectomy. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the long-term patient satisfaction with HTA and that the overall probability of proceeding to subsequent hysterectomy over 8 years was only 11%.