Essure

Essure offers 100 percent protection to women who are not already pregnant at the time of the procedure. Once inserted, Essure needs about three months for tubal plugs to be formed and block the fallopian tubes. During this time, women are encouraged to use another form of birth control.

Essure is a more advanced option because:

• It can be placed in the female body without any surgical incision. This means the procedure has moved from the operating room to the doctor's office.
• Essure can be inserted using a smaller amount of intravenous anesthesia with a much shorter recovery period.

Essure is a metallic insert made up of a combination of stainless steel, polyethylene terephthalate fibers, and nickel titanium. This combination has been successfully used in other surgical procedures to elicit a natural fibrotic ingrowth around the device. When placed in the fallopian tubes, Essure prevents pregnancy by permanently blocking the fallopian tubes by promoting natural ingrowths.

Patients should have a follow-up appointment after the procedure to make sure that inserts are placed appropriately and causing natural ingrowths to block the fallopian tubes.As with any medical procedure, please have a detailed discussion with your doctor to understand if Essure is the right choice for your birth control needs. Some health conditions such as the history of cancers of the reproductive organs, chemotherapy or other health conditions that compromise or weaken your immune system will disqualify you for Essure.