Essure® Specialist

What Is Essure?

Essure is a type of permanent birth control. Small inserts are placed within each of the fallopian tubes to create a block. Over the 3-month period after the insertion of the Essure inserts, a barrier will develop. This barrier helps to keep the inserts in place and prevents the sperm from traveling up the fallopian tubes to reach the eggs. At the 3-month mark, the doctor will do a confirmation test to make sure that the Essure inserts are reliable for permanent birth control. For some women, 3 months is not sufficient time for the Essure barrier to work permanently. In this case, a repeat confirmation test is needed at the 6-month mark. Until that time, another type of birth control should be used.

What Is the Effectiveness Rate of Essure?

Essure is a highly effective method of permanent birth control. It is more than 99 percent effective.

What Are the Benefits of Essure Versus Another Type of Birth Control?

For many women who are finished building their family, one of the biggest advantages of Essure is that it is permanent. Essure is a non-surgical procedure that can be done in approximately 10 minutes in the doctor's office with no hospital stay required. The recovery from the Essure procedure is usually quite short. Most women can rest at home for a day or two and then return to their usual routine and activities. Essure does not contain hormones, something which many women feel is a major advantage. This procedure has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration since 2002. Essure has a long history of being an effective permanent birth control that has been used by more than 750,000 women. Many insurance plans will cover at least part of the cost of Essure because it is a type of birth control.