Ablation is a short procedure. It is done as outpatient surgery in most cases. This means you can go home the same day. You most likely will be given some form of pain relief or sedative to help you relax before the procedure. The type of pain relief used depends on the type of ablation procedure, where it is done, and your wishes. Discuss this with your doctor. There are no incisions (cuts) involved in ablation. Recovery takes about 2 hours, depending on the type of pain relief used. Your doctor will use one of a number of types of energy to burn away the uterine lining. These may include electrical, laser (light), or thermal (heat) ablation. As new techniques emerge, your doctor can explain them.

Electrical
A loop or rollerball tool can be used to destroy the thin inner lining of the uterus. For the procedure, the walls of the cervix are widened to allow passage of a device called a hysteroscope. The doctor looks through it to see the inside of your uterus on a mon-itor. Your uterus is filled with fluid to expand it. Then, the ball or loop is pulled across the endome-trial surface. The rollerball or loop applies an electric current to the surface as it is pulled across the lin-ing. This current destroys the lining.

Laser
A laser device burns the lining using a high-intensi-ty light beam. Like the rollerball and loop, the laser reaches the lining of the uterus through the hys-teroscope. The laser then destroys the lining of the uterus.

Thermal
With thermal ablation, a device or fluid is inserted into your uterus. Heat and energy are applied to increase the temperature and destroy the lining.

Risks
There is some risk involved with many procedures. Most problems result from pain medication, blood loss, or infection. The ablation procedure has certain risks. The device used may pass through the uterine wall or bowel. Rarely, the fluid used to expand your uterus may be absorbed into your bloodstream. This may allow too much fluid in your body and can be serious.