PhD conferral Imke Reinders

Keywords: abnormal uterine bleeding, endometrial ablation, local anaesthesia, outpatient care

"Improving care for women suffering from abnormal uterine bleeding – focus on outpatient care and endometrial ablation"

In this dissertation, different aspects of the care for women with heavy menstrual bleeding were investigated. To begin with, interventions to reduce anxiety and pain during examinations were examined. For this purpose, the effects of an informative virtual reality video and listening to music during the procedure were investigated.

Additionally, the most optimal method of local anaesthesia to perform endometrial ablation, a treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding, was studied. It turned out that the combination of anesthaesia around the cervix and anaesthesia in the fundus of the uterus is the most effective method. Furthermore, recovery after this treatment (endometrial ablation) was charted, allowing for better patient education on this topic. Finally, patient factors increasing the likelihood of endometrial ablation failure were examined. It turned out that women with painful menstrual periods, a history of sterilization and younger women have a higher chance of undergoing hysterectomy after endometrial ablation.

Language: Dutch

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