A 'life changing treatment' for the women of Ayrshire and Arran has been carried out in a local out-patient setting for the very first time.

The staff at the University Hospital Ayr gynaecology department will now be able to carry out Novasure endometrial ablation, an effective treatment for heavy periods, as an outpatient procedure.

Endometrial ablation has been offered as an effective treatment for heavy periods for many years in Ayrshire and Arran, but the procedure has now been performed under local anaesthetic in an outpatient setting for the very first time.

The new development was spearheaded by NHS Ayrshire & Arran's consultant gynaecologists, Dr Iain Martin and Dr Inna Sokolova.

Dr Sokolova, who is also the clinical director, said: "Because patients undergoing Novasure endometrial ablation don’t need a general anaesthetic they are able to return home a short time after their procedure, much sooner than if they had a standard ablation procedure.

"It also means they won’t suffer with any of the common side effects associated with general anaesthetic.

"Feedback from patients has been exceptionally positive and the entire team are looking forward to continuing to offer this life changing treatment to the women of Ayrshire and Arran."

The new treatment involved the use of local anaesthetic, marking a first for the region.

Staff within the department received training from Hologic to successfully integrate the Novasure procedure into the range of gynaecological procedures already offered at University Hospital Ayr.

Dr Sokolova and Dr Martin were aided by Gillian Shearer from women’s health company Hologic, and Nibs Biswas from Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust.