Essure for Female Sterilization

In-Office Procedure a Safe Alternative to Traditional Tubal Ligation

Oct 27, 2009 Alex Strauss

Women who want permanent birth control have a safer, easier alternative to traditional methods for tubal ligation, commonly called having the "tubes tied."

Tubal ligation prevents pregnancy by permanently closing off the fallopian tubes, the tubes that carry an egg from the ovaries to the uterus. There are various methods for achieving this closure.

With a safety profile comparable to that of male vasectomy, Virginia Gynecologist Dr. Daniel Noffsinger says the Essure method of hysteroscopic sterilization, which works by using the body's own responses to block the tubes, has become the preferred method for many gynecologists and their healthy patients.

Why Essure Sterilization is Safer

Because the fallopian tubes are accessed through the natural opening of the cervix, there are no incisions involved with hysteroscopic sterilization. This dramatically reduces the risk of bleeding and infection and means there is no need for general anesthesia and the risks associated with it.

How Essure Procedure Works

During the Essure procedure, a synthetic fiber wrapped in a tiny nickel alloy coil is inserted through the cervical canal into the fallopian tubes. This "foreign object" in the fallopian tubes causes an immune response which builds up scar tissue around the coils and gradually occludes or blocks the tubes naturally.

The entire procedure typically takes less than 30 minutes and is usually done in the doctor's office, an outpatient surgery center or a hospital. Most patients can return to normal activities the following day.

Although very little discomfort is associated with hysteroscopic sterilization, Dr. Noffsinger says pain management with an intramuscular NSAID injection as well as a pericervical block with a local anesthetic is typically used. Some women experience some minor cramping as the coils are being placed in the fallopian tubes, but many report the procedure to be easier than they expected.

Drawbacks of Essure Permanent Birth Control

But there are some drawbacks to hysteroscopic sterilization over traditional tubal ligation. Dr. Robert Zurawin of Baylor College of Medicine points out that the procedure does not confer immediate sterilization, which means that there is still a risk of pregnancy in the first few months following the procedure. Because it relies on the body’s own gradual response, it typically takes about three months to achieve sterilization with Essure.

Occlusion or total blockage of the fallopian tubes is confirmed with a hysterosalpinogram (HSG) test about three months after the Essure procedure. To manage birth control in the interim, patients must rely on their regular birth control method. Alternatively, a shot of the long-acting birth control drug Depo Provera may be administered one to two weeks prior to the procedure.

Risks and Benefits of Essure Tubal Ligation

The lack of incisions or general anesthesia with hysteroscopic sterilization makes it a very safe procedure; however, every procedure carries some risks. If the coils are not placed properly, the fallopian tubes may fail to occlude, in which case the patient will not be sterile. Perforation of a fallopian tube, expulsion of the coils or pain and cramping are possible, though rare.

In addition to being safer, simpler and more comfortable than tubal ligation, hysteroscopic sterilization is also just as effective and much less expensive. After four years of follow-up, hysteroscopic sterilization has been found to be 99.8 percent effective and is the only birth control method with zero pregnancies in clinical trials.

It has been FDA approved since 2002 and is covered by most insurance providers.

The copyright of the article Essure for Female Sterilization in Women’s Health is owned by Alex Strauss. Permission to republish Essure for Female Sterilization in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Essure Offers Safer Permanent Birth Control

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