What Is the Essure Contraceptive Procedure?

Essure is a form of irreversible birth control that is hormone-free. It uses the woman's body as a barrier to conception and involves a simple procedure that takes only about 15 minutes. Once the procedure is complete (which takes about 90 days), it has a 99.8 percent success rate.

Definition

• Essure is a tiny plastic coil that is inserted through the cervix into a woman's fallopian tube during an outpatient procedure. Over time, it provides birth control that lasts a lifetime.

Features

• A local anesthetic is given during the procedure to help ease discomfort. No cutting is necessary. A physician uses a hysteroscope, which has a small camera on the end, to guide the Essure devices into the fallopian tubes.

Effects

• The body's own tissues will grow around the coils, eventually blocking the fallopian tubes and preventing ovulation. The doctor will X-ray the abdomen 90 days after Essure insertion to ensure the fallopian tubes are blocked and no pregnancy can occur.

Considerations

• A woman must still use contraceptives (except the IUD) or condoms to prevent pregnancy in the 90 days after insertion.

Side Effects

• Mild to moderate abdominal pain and light vaginal bleeding are common after the Essure procedure. A woman's monthly period most likely will continue as normal until she reaches menopause. In rare cases, an ectopic pregnancy could occur.