Hysteroscopic resection of the endometrium: an alternative to hysterectomy?

A study carried out on 342 cases of endometrial resection, with a follow up of 3 to 36 months, has allowed us to precise: 1. The indications of this technique: patients more than 40 years, suffering of abnormal uterine bleeding. 2. The endometrial ablation was performed by electrosurgery through an operating channel of the hysteroscopic sheet (9 mm) and with a glycocol distended media (1.5%). The mean time to complete the operation was 35 +/- 10 minutes, the mean length of the hospital stay was 1 day. We had no serious complications. 3. And the rate of success (amenorrhea or hypomenorrhea) was 95% at 3 months but decreased at 90% at 36 months. The rate of secondary hysterectomy was 10%, due to the associated lesions: myoma with adenomyosis in 50% of the cases. There was some evidence of superior health related quality of life among hysterectomy patients. It's the reason why it is necessary to make a serious selection of the patients who are to be treated by this method in order to avoid complications and secondary hysterectomy.