The Essure Procedure

While there are many types of birth control, including the pill, the diaphragm, and the IUD (inter-uterine device), none of them are 100% certain, except for abstinence, which is just not that much fun.  But there are lesser-known methods of birth control that are permanent and 100% effective; historically, these treatments, such as tubal ligation (having your “tubes tied”) have come with some surgical risks.  However, an eight year-old procedure, which has been approved since 2002, is helping to change women’s lives and give them access to a safer and more effective method of permanent birth control.

The Essure procedure (ee'-sher) is a permanent birth control solution that does not involve hormones, surgery, or undergoing general anesthesia. Essure is a quick, in-office procedure that takes only about 10 minutes and lets you get back to your life within a very short period, usually only around 24 hours.

During essure, a soft, flexible “micro-insert” (which consists of a synthetic fiber wrapped in a minute coil made of nickel alloy) is passed through the vagina and cervix and into each fallopian tube.  During the next few weeks, the woman’s body develops a natural barrier of scar tissue over the micro-insert, which in turn prevents sperm from reaching an egg released during ovulation.  Known as hysteroscopic sterilization, essure has become a popular method for many gynecologists to treat their patients.  Once the procedure is performed, birth control must be used for the next three months, after which you will receive an Essure Confirmation Test, called a hysterosalpinogram (HSG) test, which verifies that your fallopian tubes are blocked.  At this point, you can use Essure as your only form of birth control.

Benefits & Risks of The Essure Procedure

The biggest benefit of essure is that it is “set it and forget it” pregnancy prevention.  Like lasik surgery instead of contact lenses and glasses, you never have to buy birth control, worry about what time of the month it is, or avoid sex because you don’t have the proper protection - of course, essure won’t protect against an STD.

No one likes surgery, and there’s no cutting, burning, or scarring, nor do you have to undergo general anesthesia as with tubal ligation, which is considered surgery with all the associated risks.

Essure is quick, since the procedure takes only 10 minutes (with a total in-office time of between 30-45 minutes) and you will likely be back to normal within a day.

Another important benefit is that essure is often covered by insurance, and can be as little out-of-pocket as a co-pay.

The biggest risk to essure is that you might change your mind.  Like any tubal ligation, essure is not reversible, so you must be certain your family is complete before getting the procedure.  It is also possible for the micro-insert to be misplaced, in which case the test will prove in three months that you are not sterile (as the scar tissue would not block the tubes), and the procedure would have to be performed again.  In very rare cases, it is possible for the fallopian tube to expel the coil, in which case perhaps the universe is trying to tell you something.  Other rare risks are perforation of the fallopian tube and cramping, but both of these are unusual.

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