Cryoblation for Menorrhagia Cleared by FDA

A cryosurgical system for endometrial ablation in pre-menopausal women with excessive menstrual bleeding due to benign causes has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The system is called Her Option. A slender probe attached to a cooling unit is inserted through the cervix into the uterus. Then the tip of the probe is brought to a very low temperature to freeze and eliminate the uterine lining. The system uses a unique closed-cycle cryogenic gas-cooling unit the size of a desktop computer to cool the tip of the probe. The procedure is guided and monitored on a real-time basis using ultrasound. The system was developed by CryoGen, Inc. (San Diego, CA, USA).

"The Her Option procedure offers a safe and effective, less-invasive alternative to hysterectomy for women who have completed childbearing,” said Seth J. Herbst, M.D., of the Institute for Women's Health (West Palm Beach, FL, USA). "It can be performed with a local anesthetic in a hospital, surgery center, or physician's office in approximately 20 minutes.”