NEW DELHI: Women suffering from menorrhagia or heavy menstrual bleeding can now opt for a non-surgical, less cumbersome and less painful process to rid them of the physical and mental agony associated with the problem.

The technique, called Mirena, is a modern intrauterine system that can be inserted into the uterus to decrease the amount of blood loss and the number of bleeding days during the menstrual cycle and simultaneously increase the haemoglobin level, said Dr. Alka Kriplani, a gynaecologist with the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), at a press conference here over the weekend.

Mirena -- weighing nearly 10 gm -- is placed inside the uterus manually by a trained gynaecologist. It can cure some fibroids (non-cancerous benign tumours of uterus) and acts as an effective contraceptive, she claimed.

Hormonal imbalance and uterine fibroids account for about 80 per cent of all cases of menorrhagia.

"Menorrhagia can be quite unbearable as apart from causing distress and inconvenience, continuous blood loss can lead to iron-deficiency and thus anaemia," she said.

"Around 60-70 per cent of Indian women are anaemic as their diet is generally unbalanced. Normally women suffering from menorrhagia prefer hysterectomy (uterus removal operation). Mirena is a much better alternative," Dr. Kriplani claimed, adding that its success rate is dependent on its correct insertion in the body.

"The device is initially inserted for five years but owing to its success doctors worldwide are extending it to up to seven years. It is a big draw among women abroad," she said.

However, Mirena is not devoid of side effects such as swelling, constant mood swings, depression and temporary weight gain.

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