Can you get pregnant after endometrial ablation?

There is one very important question that concerns those who have underwent the endometrial ablation and it is the concerns of the chances associated with getting pregnant after this procedure. We have to say that every woman can get pregnant after this procedure, so you must incorporate a birth control method that is effective.

Pregnancy

The endometrial ablation is the procedure that involves the destruction of the uterus's lining cells and thus prevents the future attachment of the uterus and the development of a fetus. But a woman can get pregnant if some of these cells survive. This creates another problem because if a woman in this situation becomes pregnant, her placenta will grow into the uterus's muscle wall and house there. So termination of the pregnancy is one the most common solutions in such cases. When the time for delivery comes, the placenta will not successfully separate and this will cause hemorrhage. So you have to use another successful method of birth control.

Endometrial ablation encapsulates a range of procedures undertaken to destroy the endometrial lining of the uterus as a treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding in women who no longer wish to bear children. Pregnancy following ablation, while unlikely, can occur and may carry higher rates of complications.

This population-based data linkage study included all female residents of New South Wales, Australia, aged 15-50 years with a hospital admission between July 2001 to June 2014 who birthed between July 2001 and June 2015. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate associations between women’s characteristics and post-endometrial ablation pregnancy of at least 20 weeks’ gestation.

Of 18 559 women with an endometrial ablation, 575 (3.1%) had a post-ablation pregnancy of at least 20 weeks’ gestation.
Nulliparity (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 12.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.1-16.2), older age (35-39 years: aHR 0.39, 95% CI 0.29-0.51; 40-44 years: aHR 0.06, 95% CI 0.04-0.11), marital status (single: aHR 0.67, 95% CI 0.55-0.83; widowed/divorced/separated: aHR 0.58, 95% CI 0.36-0.94) and a diagnosis of heavy menstrual bleeding (aHR 0.09, 95% CI 0.07-0.13) were associated with post-ablation pregnancy.
There were high rates of cesarean delivery (43%), preterm birth (13%), twin or higher order pregnancies (9%) and stillbirth (13.3/1000 births) among these post-ablation pregnancies.

✓ Fact confirmed: A study of pregnancy after endometrial ablation using linked population data Ibinabo Ibiebele, Tanya A. Nippita, Rodney Baber, Siranda Torvaldsen; 27 September 2020

Endometrial Ablation

The endometrial ablation will leave the uterine lining susceptible to pregnancy and the woman will also continue to ovulate. As we have mentioned, pregnancy after endometrial ablation is dangerous and it should be terminated since it may lead to certain complications like placenta accrete and rupture of the uterine. So we advise again to include additional birth control method, such as female or male sterilization, which will eliminate the possibility of future pregnancy.The procedure called endometrial ablation is performed on women who are suffering from excessive menstrual bleeding and it involves the removal of the uterine lining.

This can be done in several ways, such as with the help of a laser, microwaves, and electric current, or by freezing. There is also a last resort treatment that involves the surgical procedure, but this is only performed on women with long-lasting excessive menstrual bleeding. In cases of excessive bleeding, this is a necessity since the bleeding can lead to some serious problems such as anemia.

The bleeding is usually treated by women with the use of birth control pills, but they cause certain side effects. Woman needs to be sure about this surgery and decide to do endometrial ablation only if she plans no additional family members. Pregnancy needs a healthy uterine lining, but endometrial ablation destroys this lining and prevents the connection between the uterus and the fetus.

Complications we have mentioned can occur if a woman becomes pregnant after this procedure, which can only occur if some cells avoid the destruction during the procedure. For the end, we advise all women to consult a doctor and think about the risks and the things endometrial ablation causes before making the decision.