Have you completed your childbearing?
If your answer is YES, if you are tired of taking hormonal therapies and, if you don’t have more than 48 hours to spare in your busy schedule, consider ESSURE. This simple procedure is a permanent form of contraception performed in your Physician’s office without any surgical incisions. ESSURE is FDA approved and has been available in the United States since 2002. Based on five years of clinical data, ESSURE is 99.83% effective. Compared to other permanent yet surgical options, tubal ligation is 99.69% effective and vasectomy is 98.87% at 5 years.
A flexible, silicone-free insert is placed into each of your fallopian tubes via the vaginal route. These small, soft inserts are very safe and are made of the same material used in heart stents and heart valve replacements. A reaction to the insert begins and your body forms a natural barrier within the tubes over the following three months. An x-ray is performed at the three month mark to confirm proper placement of the inserts and that your tubes are completely blocked. This x-ray is called a Hysterosalpingogram {HSG} where a medical grade dye is injected through the cervix to confirm that your fallopian tubes are blocked. Until this test is performed, and success is documented, you should use another form of contraception.
Immediately after the ESSURE procedure, you may experience cramping, dizziness, spotting, nausea and/or vomiting. Most women return to their normal activity the following day.
ESSURE is safe, quick and it is performed in the office. The procedure itself takes approximately 10 minutes. Of course, you will be observed for another 30 minutes or so and then likely to leave the office within the hour. Currently, this non-surgical procedure AND the confirmation HSG are covered by most major health insurance providers, including Medicaid. The best part of it is that ESSURE usually does not cost more than your usual office copay or coinsurance after your deductible is met for the year. If you do not currently have health insurance, inquire at your doctor’s office about a payment plan. If this is not available, the makers of ESSURE, Conceptus Inc., offer a 12 month interest free loan for qualified applicants.
Like other permanent birth control procedures such as tubal ligation and vasectomy, ESSURE is not meant to be a temporary option. If you have any inkling that you or your partner would like to achieve pregnancy in the future, ESSURE should not be considered. It is not meant to be reversible although this is not impossible. For those who may be in this situation where you have had a change of heart and are contemplating childbearing after ESSURE, discuss this with your Gynecologist immediately.
If you are interested in ESSURE, call your Gynecologist or our office for an appointment today. For your convenience, we offer same-day appointments as well as early mornings, evenings, and Saturdays.
To learn more about this procedure, visit www.ESSURE.com.
