The Effectiveness of Levonorgestrel-Releasing Intrauterine System in the Treatment of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) has been shown to be an effective treatment for patients with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in many Western studies. The purpose of study was to examine the effectiveness of LNG-IUS in the treatment of Indian women with AUB.

We conducted a retrospective observational study of 70 women diagnosed with AUB and treated with LNG-IUS insertion between February 2010 and 2014 at the Department of Gynecology of Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences. Baseline endometrial biopsies were done before insertion of LNG-IUS, and outpatient follow-up with symptom diary was undertaken at 3-month intervals after insertion of LNG-IUS.

Primary outcome in the two treatment groups was significantly greater among women assigned to levonorgestrel-IUS than among those assigned to usual treatment (mean difference in scores over the course of 1 year 13.4 points; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 9.9-16.9; P < 0.001). All six domains of the MMAS favored the levonorgestrel-IUS at every time point (P < 0.001) with the use of a test for trend.

In conclusion, our study showed that both the levonorgestrel-IUS and usual medical treatments reduced the adverse effect of menorrhagia on women's lives over the course of 2 years, but the levonorgestrel-IUS was the more effective first choice, as assessed by the impact of bleeding on the women's quality of life.