Microwave endometrial ablation for hypermenorrhea treatment: a new era in Japan

An estimated six million women in Japan suffer from excessive menstruation and the treatment of this disorder has been undergoing dramatic changes recently. In April 2012, microwave endometrial ablation (MEA) was approved for insurance coverage as a K863-3: a hysteroscopic endometrial ablation (17,810 points). Since the introduction of MEA to Shimane University Hospital in August 2007, authors (KN, KM) have performed the procedure in 96 patients with excessive menstruation. They have also evaluated its safety and its efficacy, not only by comparing it to the existing surgical treatment but by quantifying patients' satisfaction levels and symptom improvement. The authors conclude that MEA is a safe, effective, a low-cost treatment, and they recommend that it be considered as a standard treatment for conservative therapy-resistant excessive menstruation.