title: Endometrial laser intrauterine thermotherapy: the first series of 100 patients observed for 1 year.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a new instrument (GyneLase) that offers a new approach (endometrial laser intrauterine thermal therapy [ELITT]) to treatment of menorrhagia and to evaluate the efficacy of ELITT in the management of dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  100 premenopausal women with dysfunctional uterine bleeding were observed for 1 year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intrauterine laser thermotherapy with a diode laser.
  
  
  METHODS
  Amenorrhea rate after 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The amenorrhea rate after 1 year of follow-up was 71%, and the rate of amenorrhea/severe hypomenorrhea rate was >90%; these rates are much higher than those in the literature after such procedures as electrosurgery or intrauterine thermal balloon therapy. The ELITT procedure is an inherently safe and simple alternative, providing controlled and effective treatment of the entire endometrium. In contrast to traditional endometrial ablation using a neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser, the ELITT procedure does not require intensive training or hysteroscopic control; it is also far less risky, because the power used per unit area is 1,000 times lower.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ELITT procedure is a new nonhysteroscopic technique for endometrial ablation. The technique is very safe and offers the highest amenorrhea rate to date in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Cliniques Universitaires St. Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. donnez@gyne.ucl.ac.be
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Donnez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Polet
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rabinovitz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Squifflet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nisolle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004717:Endometrium / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008595:Menorrhagia / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017697:Premenopause; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life