Looking for Advice on Essure

A friend had it done earlier this year; she didn't want any more children and it is permanent. I think she had some minor cramping but is thrilled with the results. No more worrying about birth control.

Hi M.,

I have been researching permanent forms of birth control for either my husband or I. What I have found about Essure is that it is VERY permanent, they say there is a chance of reversal but the damage to the tubes could result in tubal pregnancies and other complications. It's a short, relatively easy procedure, slight pain, but fast recovery. The people that I have talked with that have Essure are incredibly happy with it. My only personal issue with Essure is that it hasn't been around very long and in MY OWN OPINION it is still in the testing phases. No one knows the long term results of what is does to your tubes or how the little coil changes over time. It's great that you are looking for info here and keep up your research elsewhere, as long as you are knowledgeable about different forms of birth control, you will make the right decision for yourself!

Good Luck!

A.
Helping Moms Work from Home
www.SecureFutureFromHome.com

M.,
I had the Essure procedure done last winter. My doctor did it in her office, which took only 15 to 20 minutes. There was just a slight bit of cramping during the procedure (very, very slight) and absolutely no recovery time. I went to the gym and ran 7 miles on the treadmill the next day! It was amazing. You do have to go for a hystosalpingogram (x-ray) 3 months later to make sure the fallopian tubes are blocked and that is actually more uncomfortable than the actual procedure (but not much).
I highly recommend this form of sterilization. I don't know why anyone would have a tubal ligation anymore unless they are doing it immediately after delivery. Good luck!
L.

I had the essure procedure done over 2 years ago, I LOVE it, but you really need to be 100% sure you do not want anymore children because it is non-reversable. I have no problems, I had no down time after the procedure was done, went right back to normal activity! I would definatly recommend it to my friends! I hope that helps!
S.

Essure is fairly new. My sil had this procedure done. I think that it was a simple procedure with little recovery time and few side effects for her. From what I understand - it is permanent. If you ever think that there would be any situation that you would want another pregnancy - it is not for you.

I LOVE Essure! I got it done over 3 years ago, and haven't regretted it for a minute. Same day surgery, and I had absolutely no pain whatsoever - didn't even need a Tylenol. I was back at work the next day. You do have to continue using birth control for 3 months until they can check to see if the plugs work. The one minor issue was that no OB's in my practice were certified, so I had to see an OB at another practice. But he was great, so it wasn't a big deal. By now, I'm sure that more OB's have become certified to perform the procedure. It is permanent, so be sure that you don't want more kids. And you do still have your periods. But I LOVE not being on the pill any more!

I decided to go with Essure in '04. I have had many abdominal surgeries which made it risky for me to try to have a standard tubiligation. It was a mildly uncomfortable proceedure, mainly like the soreness of an incredibly bad period. The next day, I was fine. My doctor checked the inserts after a few weeks and injected dye to make sure the tubes were closed off. They were, and everything has been fine since. My doctor wanted me to know that this is a permanent thing. He said that it could possibly be reversed, but there would be a lot of damage to the fallopian tubes which could make any future conception difficult or impossible. So keep that in mind before deciding. I am nothing but pleased with my results. I highly recommend this form of sterilization because your recovery time is so very short and there are little or no side effects.

I'm cautious about anything that involves permanent sterilization... especially anything that is new.

Here are some things that talk about the cons of the Essure procedure:

http://www.vitalsourcemag.com/index.php/magazine/article/...

Good-thing-gone-bad stories from women who had to have hysters because the procedure went wrong:
http://www.aphroditewomenshealth.com/forums/ubbthreads.ph...

and from http://www.tubal.org:
"The Essure inserts would be a less invasive procedure [than a tubal ligation], but would remove the delicate feedback loop that the egg and flow of hormones from the corpus luteum on the ovary provides to the uterus through the tubes every month".
...meaning, you risk Post-Tubal Syndrome and whacked out hormones just like you would with a tubal ligation.