Essure is a soft, flexible micro-insert designed and made by Conceptus, with the same materials used for years in heart valve replacements and blood vessel grafts. The worldwide introduction of Essure occurred in a clinical trial in Australia in 1998.
Essure is inserted vaginally by a trained gynaecologist using a visually guided method called hysteroscopy. A micro-insert is placed in each fallopian tube, where the body and the micro-insert work together to form a biological blockage that prevents sperm from reaching the egg.
Gentler and Faster
Unlike tubal ligation (having your tubes tied) or vasectomy, the Essure procedure requires no incisions and is typically done without general anesthesia. In clinical trials, the average time spent using a hysteroscope to place micro-inserts into the fallopian tubes was 15 minutes. The total procedure time was about 30 minutes, and most women were able to leave the facility 45 minutes after the procedure.
Safety and Effectiveness
In two clinical studies of more than 700 women, there were no life-threatening complications from the procedure.
The first year effectiveness of Essure is more than 99%.
88% of women rated their tolerance of the procedure as "good" to "excellent".
99% of women who had Essure for six months or more rated their comfort with Essure as "good" to "excellent."
As with a vasectomy, there is a minimum three-month waiting period after the procedure, during which you must use another form of birth control to prevent pregnancy.
Some Key Considerations
Keep in mind that Essure is one of the newest birth control alternatives, and while the data demonstrate its effectiveness, the clinical research to date has not involved as many patients or as long a follow-up period as other birth control methods.
How is it done? A catheter is passed through the uterus to place a micro-insert into the fallopian tube. Tissue grows through the insert, blocking the tube.
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Essure-anyone heard of it before?
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