About Essure: Surgery-free Permanent Birth Control
Essure® is a surgery-free permanent birth control procedure—without hormones, downtime for recovery or the risks of getting your tubes tied. Essure works with your body to create a natural barrier against pregnancy. This simple procedure can be performed in the comfort of our office in minutes. Unlike some forms of birth control, Essure blocks the egg and sperm from meeting, so conception never occurs.
When you're sure you're done having children, insist on Essure.
Trusted by more than half a million women and their doctors for nearly 10 years, Essure is the most effective form of permanent birth control available. (Based on 5 years of clinical data.) Essure is covered by most insurance providers, and if the Essure procedure is performed in our office, depending on your specific insurance plan, payment may be as low as a simple co-pay.
Our practice is excited to offer patients this latest advancement in permanent birth control. The procedure is becoming the gold standard in permanent birth control.
This Hysteroscopic (incision-less) tubal ligation procedure was FDA approved in 2002, and has now been completed on more than 500,000 patients world-wide. Dr. Ashford and other members of the team have been performing the procedure since it became available. Using a straightforward hysteroscopic approach, flexible, biocompatible micro-inserts are placed in the fallopian tubes to cause tubal occlusion via natural tissue response over a 3-month period. The procedure is performed comfortably and safely in less than 20 minutes for most patients.
Essure is a non-surgical, permanent birth control
Essure is a non-surgical permanent birth control that can help you stop worrying about an unplanned pregnancy
- Non-surgical—Essure is a short, 10-minute procedure that can be performed right in the doctor's office
- No downtime to recover—most women go home within 45 minutes and resume normal activities within a day or two
- Non-hormonal—Essure inserts do not contain or release hormones
- Proven—Essure is over 99% effective*
- May be available at no cost—Essure may be covered by your health insurance plan at no cost†
- FDA-approved—and has been available for over 10 years
*Based on 5-year clinical study data.
†Some restrictions may apply.
Indication
Essure is a permanent birth control procedure that works with your body to create a natural barrier against pregnancy.
Additional information about Essure
Important Safety Information
WARNING: You must continue to use another form of birth control until you have your Essure Confirmation Test and your doctor tells you that you can rely on Essure for birth control. You can rely on Essure for birth control only after your doctor has reviewed your Essure Confirmation Test results. Your doctor will confirm that the inserts are properly placed and both of your fallopian tubes are blocked. If you rely on Essure for birth control before having your Essure Confirmation Test, you are at risk of getting pregnant.
Talk to your doctor about which method of birth control you should use for the 3 months after the procedure. Some women can remain on their current birth control. Other women, such as those using an intrauterine device or contraceptive (IUD or IUC), will need to switch to another method.
It can take longer than three months for the Essure procedure to be effective. In rare cases, it has taken up to 6 months. Make sure to continue using an alternate form of birth control up until your doctor has reviewed your Essure Confirmation Test results and confirmed that you can rely on Essure for birth control.
WARNING: Be sure you are done having children before you undergo the Essure procedure. Essure is a permanent method of birth control. The younger a woman is when she chooses to end her fertility, the more likely she is to regret her choice later.
During the procedure: You may experience mild to moderate pain, your doctor may be unable to place one or both Essure inserts correctly, part of an Essure insert may break off or puncture the fallopian tube requiring surgery to repair the puncture, or your body may absorb a large amount of the salt water solution. Your doctor may recommend a local anesthesia which numbs the cervix. Ask your doctor about the risks associated with this type of anesthesia. Immediately following the procedure: You may experience mild to moderate pain and/or cramping, vaginal bleeding, and pelvic or back discomfort for a few days. Some women experience nausea and/or vomiting or fainting. In rare instances, an Essure insert may be expelled from the body. During the Essure Confirmation Test: You will be exposed to very low levels of radiation, as with most x-rays. In rare instances, women may experience spotting and/or infection.
Long-term Risks: There are rare reports of chronic pelvic pain in women who have had Essure. In rare instances, an Essure insert may migrate through the fallopian tubes into the lower abdomen and pelvis. It may be necessary to surgically remove the migrated device if the patient is experiencing an adverse event. No birth control method is 100% effective. If you do become pregnant after Essure, the risks to you, the fetus, the pregnancy and childbirth are unknown. Women who have the Essure procedure are more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy if they get pregnant. Ectopic pregnancy is when the pregnancy occurs outside of the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies can be very serious or life-threatening. If you have the NovaSure® procedure, a procedure that removes the lining of the uterus to lighten or stop menstrual bleeding, after the Essure procedure, your risk of pregnancy may increase. The Essure insert is made of materials that include a nickel-titanium alloy. Patients who are allergic to nickel may have an allergic reaction to the inserts. Symptoms include rash, itching and hives.
Unknown Risks: The safety and effectiveness of Essure has not been established in women under 21 or over 45 years old. The safety and effectiveness of reversing the Essure procedure, of in vitro fertilization (IVF) after the procedure, or to you and your fetus if you get pregnant after the procedure are not known.
Adverse Events: During the procedure, the most common problem reported was mild to moderate pain (9.3%). Some of the women in the study reported moderate pain (12.9%) and/or cramping (29.6%) on the day of the procedure. A smaller percentage of women reported nausea/vomiting (10.8%) and vaginal bleeding (6.8%).
Essure inserts do not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.
The Essure Procedure
Getting Essure is a short, 10-minute procedure. There’s no downtime to recover—most women go home within 45 minutes. You'll be able to resume normal activities within a day or two.
Here is a brief overview of the procedure:
Placing the Essure inserts
The Essure procedure can be performed in the doctor’s office. During the procedure, soft and flexible inserts will be placed into each of your fallopian tubes. No incisions are needed because the inserts are placed through the natural pathway of your vagina and cervix.
Formation of the natural barrier
Over the next 3 months, your body forms a natural barrier around the Essure inserts. The barrier prevents the sperm from reaching your eggs. During the 3-month period, you must continue using another form of birth control to prevent pregnancy while this barrier forms.
Essure Confirmation Test
After 3 months, a doctor administers the Essure Confirmation Test using contrast dye and a special type of x-ray. The test confirms that the inserts are placed correctly, your fallopian tubes are blocked, and pregnancy is permanently prevented. Until you receive confirmation from your doctor, you must continue to use another form of birth control to prevent pregnancy.
Indication
Essure is a permanent birth control procedure that works with your body to create a natural barrier against pregnancy.
Important Safety Information
Be sure to read the safety information under the "IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION" tab.
Is Essure Right for You?
Only you and the doctor can decide if Essure is right for you.
This list outlines a few things to consider when deciding on Essure.
Essure may be right for you if:
- You are certain you do not want any more children
- You desire a permanent birth control
- You prefer a method or procedure that ...
- Does not take a lot of time
- Does not require surgery or general anesthesia
- Does not contain hormones
Essure is not right for you if:
- You have only one fallopian tube
- You have one or both fallopian tubes closed or obstructed
- You have had your "tubes tied" (tubal ligation)
- You are allergic to contrast dye used during x-ray exams
- You are unwilling to undergo the Essure Confirmation Test
- You are uncertain about ending your fertility
Before having the Essure procedure, make sure you:
- Are not or have not been pregnant within the past 6 weeks
- Have not had a recent pelvic infection
- Are not in the second half (weeks 3 and 4) of your menstrual cycle. During that time, there is an increased risk of being pregnant prior to having the Essure procedure
- Are not taking or receiving therapy that suppresses your immune system. Examples include chemotherapy or corticosteroids, such as prednisone. Therapy that suppresses the immune system may make the Essure procedure less effective for birth control
Important: Essure inserts do not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.
Be sure to read the important safety information under "IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION.
Good news! Essure may be available at no cost.
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many health insurance plans are now required to cover all methods of birth control for women at no cost.
That means Essure may be available without copays, deductibles, or out-of-pocket costs.
As all plans are different and renew at different times, call your health insurance company before having the procedure to verify your insurance benefits.
Next Steps
Call us and schedule a consultation to learn more about Essure.
During the consultation you can ask more questions about Essure to find out if it is right for you. Use this list as a starting point.
- What can I expect on the day of the procedure?
- How long does it take to perform the Essure procedure?
- Will I need medications before, during or after the procedure?
- Do I need any special preparations the night before or morning of the procedure?
- Is there a recovery period with Essure?
- Can I drive myself home after the procedure?
- Who will perform my Essure Confirmation Test, and how should I schedule it?
- Can I continue using my current birth control during the three months between the procedure and the Essure Confirmation Test?
- Can you tell me about your other patients’ experiences with Essure?
