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Women who have heavy menstrual bleeding or pelvic pain need to know that they have many options for treatment. Heavy menstrual bleeding, for example, may be treated either medically or surgically. If surgery is needed, The Ottawa Hospital is ready to provide the most innovative care available in the world.
The strength of The Ottawa Hospital has been its mission to provide world-class care in minimally invasive surgery. There has been significant investment in equipment and expertise to help provide the most innovative surgical treatments for our patients with a focus on quicker recovery, less pain, fewer complications and great outcomes.
Surgical options vary from simple day procedures to more complex surgical cases for those who require them.
A hysteroscopy is a simple procedure that can be performed with or without anesthetic. In this case a small 4mm camera is inserted into the uterus to help make a diagnosis and treat the source of heavy bleeding. Patients are home within a couple of hours after the procedure and often with no or little discomfort. There is almost no recovery needed. The Ottawa Hospital’s Shirley E. Greenberg Women’s Health Centre has one of the most state of the art hysteroscopy centres in the country.
If a patient does need a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), we still focus on minimally invasive options. Over the last five years, TOH has seen a dramatic decrease in large incision hysterectomy cases which means patients now have no abdominal incisions (vaginal hysterectomy) or only a few small 5mm incisions (laparoscopic or key hole hysterectomy) in the majority of cases.
At TOH, we certainly have the technology and teams to provide great care, but our inspiration comes from our patients and seeing an improvement in their quality of life and well being.
Dr. Sony Sukhbir Singh
Assistant Professor
Director of Minimally Invasive Gynaecology
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
University of Ottawa/The Ottawa Hospital
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One thing that never gets openly discussed is taking birth control every day with no break to avoid having a monthly period. Is there a reason why this is not more openly promoted.
iam usman yahaya i will visit your office
Continuous hormonal contraception is the term used to describe taking the “pill” (or equivalent) everyday without taking a break on a monthly basis to have a period.
For women who already take the pill, or contraceptive ring, this is a safe option for contraception. It is a great method of treating women who have painful periods as well (“no period, no pain”). When the “pill” is taken continuously, the lining of the uterus remains thin so there is no “build up” or need to menstruate.
The main reason it is not used more often is because of cultural or personal choice. Some women like to know they are not pregnant and the monthly cycle reaffirms this for them. But if a woman is interested in this option they should bring it up with their health care professional as a discussion point.