Other tools include those that harness electricity, high-energy radio waves, heated fluids, or cold temperature to destroy the endometrial lining.

Due to the uterine changes that take place after undergoing ablation, patients are unlikely to be able to become pregnant after the procedure, and of pregnancies that do occur, complication risk is high.

To reduce the associated mortality risks, it is often recommended for patients to adhere to birth control methods after undergoing endometrial ablation.

The procedure begins with cervical dilation, which temporarily stretches the cervix to make room for the ablation instruments and/or hysteroscope to enter the uterus.

After sufficient dilation, the ablation instrument is introduced into the uterine cavity, which is used to partially or fully destroy the endometrial lining.

[12] Commonly used ablation systems include: Older methods utilize hysteroscopy to insert instruments into the uterus to destroy the lining under visualization using a laser, or microwave probe.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves and audits clinical studies to test and evaluate the effectiveness of all endometrial ablation treatments.

[15] Compared with hysterectomy, ablation was less effective at reducing pain and excess bleeding; however, it also resulted in fewer adverse events.