New procedure treats gynaecological condition ‘in real first’ for Hartlepool

The Sonata procedure uses radio frequency ablation - burning or freezing - of fibroids for treating women with heavy menstrual bleeding.

Fibroids are benign non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb and cause symptoms such as heavy or painful periods, abdominal and lower back pain.

They most often occur in women aged 30 to 50, with around two in three women developing at least one fibroid at some point in their life.

The innovative Sonate procedure avoids the need for major surgery like hysterectomy and myomectomy.

Pioneered by Hartlepool hospital as a day-case operation under general anaesthetic in 2021, the team has now refined the process as an out-patient appointment using only local anaesthetic.

The new out-patient procedure was performed for the first time this week by Samendra Roy and Dr Dolon Basu.

The patient, whose identity has been anonymised for reasons of clinical confidentiality, said: “To be in and out within a morning for a procedure traditionally done under general anaesthetic shows true medical advancement.

“Staff were lovely. Given the current pressures of today, it is very heart-warming to know everyone cares. I received proper nursing care.”

The Sonata Treatment is an incisionless solution, clinically proven to reduce fibroid symptoms.

The fibroids are treated from inside the uterus, so there are no incisions, no tissue needs to be cut or surgically removed and the uterus is preserved.

The procedure usually takes an hour and sees patients return to their normal activity in a couple of days, with menstrual bleeding improving within three months.

Mr Roy said: “The team all worked really hard to make this a reality and I’m proud of them all. This is a real first for Hartlepool.

“Carrying out this procedure as an out-patient, local anaesthetic procedure limits the disruption to the patient. It usually takes less than one hour and on average, women return to normal activity in a couple of days and see improvement in menstrual bleeding within three months.”