Endometrial Ablation: Microwave or Thermal Balloon?

Endometrial ablation is a recognized treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding, but long-term, head-to-head comparisons of techniques are few. Investigators sent questionnaires to women who had participated in a blinded, randomized, controlled trial in a Scottish hospital evaluating microwave endometrial ablation (MEA) compared with thermal balloon endometrial ablation (TBall) at least 5 years previously. Study participants had requested ablation for heavy menstrual bleeding (although menstrual blood loss was not formally measured) and had uterine cavity lengths <12 cm, no histopathologic endometrial abnormalities, and no fibroids >3 cm or obstructing the uterine cavity.

Almost 70% of the women originally randomized returned the questionnaires;…