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Essure Procedure Offers Permanent, Incision-Less Birth Control for Women

Women’s Care patients whose families are complete now have a proven and permanent birth control option that doesn’t require incisions, hormones, general anesthesia or slowing down to recover. Known as Essure, the procedure is a permanent, irreversible and effective birth control option that works with the body to create a natural barrier to pregnancy.

Brooke Kyle, MD, performs this gentle 15-minute procedure in an outpatient surgery center. Before joining Women’s Care, she performed the procedure routinely in her Miami practice. Dr. Kyle says that she and her patients were very happy with the results.

The procedure is performed under light sedation and involves inserting tiny spiral-shaped implants into the fallopian tubes through the vagina, cervix and uterus. According to Dr. Kyle, most women resume their normal activities within one day of the procedure.

After the procedure, the fallopian tubes create scar tissue that forms a natural barrier that prevents sperm from reaching the egg. Three months after the Essure is placed, an x-ray confirms that the tubes are fully blocked and that the patient can rely on Essure for permanent birth control. In the interim between the insertion and the confirmation test, patients must use another form of birth control.

“Unlike birth control pills, patches, rings and some forms of IUDs, Essure doesn’t contain hormones that interfere with the natural menstrual cycle,” notes Dr. Kyle. “A woman’s periods will more or less continue in their natural state.”

In use over the past five years, Essure has been proven to be 99.8% effective in four years of clinical trials, comparing favorably with tubal ligation.

As with all procedures, there are risks associated with Essure, including slight pain and cramping after the procedure; expulsion of the implant; and a very rare chance of perforation of the fallopian tube or uterus. Still, says Dr. Kyle, Essure has the fewest risks of any form of permanent birth control.

To learn more about Essure, or to see if it’s appropriate for you, call Women’s Care to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kyle.