The American Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery (AIMIS) is the nation’s pre-eminent educator of advanced surgical techniques for women’s health specialists. AIMIS brings together hospitals, surgeons, clinics, medical technology companies, the insurance industry and patients by providing a platform to deliver advanced surgical procedures that improve health care for women of all ages. AIMIS teaches and supports minimally invasive gynecological and urogynecological surgical methods and supports members with business strategies to help grow and strengthen their practice while improving patient outcomes through advanced surgical techniques. AIMIS also provides resources for patients, corporate partners, physician members and affiliates to help foster minimally invasive surgery techniques that provide speedier recoveries, reduced scarring and lower costs.

What is Essure?

The cutting-edge sterilization procedure known as Essure is fast becoming one of the most popular permanent birth control methods for women today. Essure is a permanent birth control procedure that naturally works with your body to create a safe and effective barrier against pregnancy. Essure is covered by most insurance providers, and can be performed in the comfort of a physician’s office in less than 10 minutes. In fact, depending on your insurance plan, the payment for the procedure could be as low as a regular co-pay.

How does Essure work?

The quick and easy procedure starts when an Essure-trained physician uses a camera called a hysteroscope to apply soft and flexible inserts through the body’s natural pathways (the vagina, uterus, and cervix), and then in to your fallopian tubes. The very tip of the device then remains outside of the fallopian tube so that your doctor and you have immediate visual confirmation that the placement is correct. You are back to your normal activities within 24 hours of the procedure. For 3 months following the procedure, the inserts and your body work together simultaneously in order to form scar tissue which acts as a natural barrier that effectively prevents sperm from reaching the egg. It is important that you remember to use another form of birth control during these 3 months to ensure that pregnancy does not occur.

Once the 3 months are over, it’s time to get an Essure confirmation test, also called a hysterosalpingogram, in order to verify that you’re fully protected from unwanted pregnancy. Using a special type of x-ray, your doctor can make sure that both the inserts are in place and that the fallopian tubes are effectively blocked.

So what are a few of the benefits of choosing Essure?

• No hormones
• Usually performed in less than 10 minutes
• No incisions or general anesthesia
• Minimal recovery time needed
• The procedure is a doctor-approved form of birth control that has been trusted for over 5 years
• Essure is 99.8% effective, which means that it is the most reliable permanent birth control available

Donald Kratz, MD. Minimally Invasive Gynecology »