New Birth Control Procedure
In the United States, sterilization is the most commonly used method of birth control among married
or formerly married women.
A new technique may make having your "tubes tied" even easier.
For women who have completed their families, permanent sterilization is an excellent choice for birth control.
It's safe, reliable, and popular.
In fact 700,000 women have their tubes tied every year in the U.S.
But tubal ligation means surgery.
It usually requires general anesthetic, and four to six days for recovery.
Gaby Avina/Essure Patient: "I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER SURGICAL PROCEDURE. IT'S HARD ON YOUR BODY, IT'S HARD ON YOUR FAMILY AND I WAS VERY BUSY. I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH THAT."
So Gaby Avina enrolled in a clinical study that's testing of a new nonsurgical approach, called Essure.
Dr. Donald Galen/Gynecologist: "THE ESSURE DEVICE IS A MICRO INSERT. IT'S MADE OF MATERIALS THAT WE'VE BEEN USING IN SURGERY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS ON PATIENTS, SO THIS IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT AS FAR AS PUTTING A VERY TINY DEVICE IN ON A PERMANENT BASIS."
Here's how it works.
Using local sedation, a thin telescope is passed through the cervix into the uterine cavity.
One device is guided into each fallopian tube, where it expands to fit securely.
Once in place, tissue grows around the device, blocking the tube and preventing pregnancy.
DR. GALEN: "SOME OF THE BENEFITS INCLUDE VERY RAPID PLACEMENT. IT TYPICALLY TAKES ABOUT 30 MINUTES. THIS CAN BE DONE IN A DOCTOR'S OFFICE, YET DOESN'T INVOLVE ANY INCISIONS. SO THE AMOUNT OF DISMFORT IS MUCH LESS."
And that means a quicker recovery.
Women are back to their normal routine within a day or two.
GABY AVINA:"IT'S VERY EXCITING TO KNOW THIS IS IN THE FUTURE FOR WOMEN."
Early studies seem to show it works.
More than six hundred women have had the procedure and no pregnancies have been reported.
If the procedure gets FDA approval, it could make sterilization even more popular.
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