The Essure procedure- Update
As one of the first gynecologists to perform Essure in the United States I have over 10 years of experience inserting this device. I was part of the FDA post-approval studies that monitored the incidence of any side effects during the first few years that Essure was available for insertions. During this time my colleagues and I have performed hundreds of insertion with very few minor complications. We have not seen any serious complications over this time period and feel very comfortable continuing to offer this service to our patients. As with any device that is implanted into the human body there can be complications -as we discuss with all our patients prior to them considering this as their permanent method of birth control. Clearly the likelihood of a patient having a serious complication is significantly higher with other methods of birth control. The risks of deep vein thromboses, pulmonary emboli, and other complications from hormonal methods of birth control have been known for many years. Any other form of female permanent sterilization requires significant anesthesia and the risks that entails as well as some type of incision that is prone to infection, bleeding, or injury to internal organs. If you have any questions as to the procedure or its appropriateness for your unique situation you should ask your health care provider.
Samuel O Grimm III, M. D