Essure 5/10
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| Tue, 05-01-2007 - 1:51am |
I just wanted to say "Thank You!" to the posters who've posted about the Essure procedure (both here & on the CFBC board) and to cl-dancer31 for post 21814.3.
While I did all my "leg work" (research, etc) it's awesome to be able to "hear" about the procedure from others who've BTDT. I'll try to update after my procedure on 5/10 or my post-procedure appointment on 5.18; I'm 28, we've been sure that our family is complete for years (our dd is 6) and I'll be having the Essure procedure done on 5/10.
If anyone has any questions about Essure or my experience, feel free to post here (the board is on my favorites) or email me blytheone at sbcglobal dot net and I'll do my best to tell you my experience or suggest a resource (whichever is more appropriate).
FWIW so far: I looked into the Essure procedure & found a doctor midway between work & home (1 mile) who has been utilizing this sterilization procedure since she was a resident; I went in for my annual on 4/3 to discuss things & went for my pre-Essure consult (formality for insurance) last week and I go on 5/10 for my procedure.
Prior to going to my doctor, I read everything the FDA had to say & everything that Conceptus (sp?) had to say. But by far, the most 'btdt' information I've read/heard has been on this forum. Knowing what others experienced enabled me to ask better questions and to better gauge how my body will tolerate the procedure.
Thank you to iVillage, the other posters & cl-dancer31 for a great "this is my experience" reading list. And thank you, in general, to all the posters & staff here who've taught me a lot about female sexuality so that I can "give" my daughter the gift of informed sexuality. I'm taking her with me to my post-Essure follow up on 5/18 because I want her to have an open dialogue with a gyn long before she needs to actually visit one. Talking to kids about sexuality isn't nearly as difficult as talking to them about the responsibility of sexuality ~ both from a "you could get pg or get an std" perspective and from the "you need to know yourself b4 you can share your gifts with another" perspective while keeping it age appropriate for the Kindergarten Krowd. I sure hope my gyn is more adept at answering kid questions than I am; if she isn't, well, that's a bridge I'll cross when I get to it LOL
Edited 5/1/2007 1:53 am ET by blythe_one


I wish you all the best with the Essure procedure, I had that done, perhaps you had read one of my posts as well. :)
Good luck!
Hi,
Congratulations on finding the right bc for you. I love this board too. I find bc fascinating (I know I’m a geek) and I also learn more here than anywhere. Judie and Jill are amazing in their knowledge and non-judgmental approach to taking care of us.
I’m getting a Mirena the same day that you get Essure; dh feels finished having kids and I don’t. lol! I’ll be pulling for you. May I ask why you chose Essure instead of a tubal ligation? How involved is Essure? I am going to do some reading on this tonight so that I sound educated when I talk about it.
Good luck and thanks for sharing your thoughts. That’s what makes this board so valuable.
Oh and good luck with your daughter. My stepdaughter is going to be 13 in September and my friend told me that a 13 year old at her dd’s school is pregnant! Holy cow. I am very confident in my stepdaughter and I worry about stepping on her mom’s toes by giving her my views on sex/birth control, but I feel that it must be done. I am going to talk to her mom and my sil, who is also very close to her. We need to have a united front on this.
Holly
Hi!
I had Mirena for 5 years ~ I liked the "side effects" it had on AF. I can't speak to its efficacy for birth control because we honestly never relied on it; we've always used backup.
Why I'm having Essure instead of a tubal (in no particular order):
1. no incisions
2. no general anesthesia
3. no fake hormones
4. no post-tubal syndrome
5. NOT ONE pregnancy during the clinical trials ~ there were 4 (?) women who were unknowingly pg when they had the procedure (in the trials), but no pregnancies while relying on Essure for contraception
6. the "confirmation" test (dye test) will show me that the tubes are blocked in 3 months if the procedure is a success
That all being said, you can go to www.essure.com and learn more about the procedure, but basically a doctor trained in the procedure guides a spring into each fallopian tube by following the body's natural pathways; the body is supposed to build a tissue wall around the springs over the 90 days following the procedure and then a confirmation test is done to show whether the tubes are occluded (blocked). If they are then *bingo*.
Essure is a less invasive procedure than a tubal ligation, there is no cutting involved. It's not "major surgery"... it's done via hysteroscope.
I realize that you weren't addressing your question to me, I hope you don't mind my answering it. ;)
vida
Hi blythe_one, welcome back!
Jill
you give great answers, and I was addressing it to anyone who knew the answer.
Thanks!
Holly
Makes sense to me. Those are all really great reasons. I really like that they can test to make sure the essure is effective.
I hate general anesthesia, but I am ok with fake hormones; that’s just me though. I am reading a little on the website and what do you know, my mil & sil’s gyn does the procedure. He is in the same office as my ob/gyn. Good to know it is available if I ever want it.
Thanks for sharing your experience with Mirena. It is right up with effectiveness of a vasectomy, and in typical use rates slightly better than a V. Dh wants a V and I want one more baby, so we’re just as covered but have the ability to make a different choice in the future.
I do hope that you post your experience after the procedure.
Holly