January 15, 2017 Liza Colimon, MD FacebookTwitterPinterestEssure is a form of permanent sterilization. It is a desired birth control method for women who no longer want children and prefer permanent contraception. The procedure is non-reversible and should be heavily considered prior to undergoing surgical therapy. This procedure may be performed in the office or In the operating room. A hysteroscope is used to visualize the openings of the fallopian tubes. The scope is place inside the cervix and into the uterine cavity. Coils are placed in the fallopian tubes. The coils cause scarring and therefore blockage of the tubes leading to permanent contraception. No abdominal, vaginal or any form of surgical scar is required. A back up method of contraception is required until the coils completely block the insides of the fallopian tubes. Typically, this process takes approximately 3 months. This procedure has many advantages over the traditional laparoscopic tubal ligation which requires general anesthesia, abdominal incisions, longer recovery and more pain. However some women have developed post procedure chronic pelvic pain after the Essure procedure requiring the Fallopian Tubes to need to be removed at a later date. The coils have also been reported to perforate through the tubes on some patients or migrate into the pelvis or abdomen. You cannot have the Essure procedure if you have an allergy to nickel.