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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffLess than 1 pregnancy occurs out of 100 women who have had the Essure system successfully implanted. If you do conceive after having the Essure system implanted, there's a higher chance that the pregnancy will be ectopic — when fertilization happens outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. However, because pregnancy after sterilization is rare, the overall risk of ectopic pregnancy is lower than that of the general population.
The Essure system doesn't offer protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Risks associated with the Essure system include:
- Infection
- Pelvic pain
- Perforation of the uterus or fallopian tubes
- Tubal blockage occurring on only one side
You may not be able to have some pelvic electrosurgical procedures, such as some types of endometrial ablation, after having the Essure system implanted. This is because the Essure inserts are metallic and can conduct electricity, possibly resulting in tissue damage.
- Greenberg J. Hysteroscopic sterilization. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 12, 2011.
- Birth control methods. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/birth-control-methods.cfm. Accessed Dec. 12, 2011.
- Abbott J. Transcervical sterilization. Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2007;19:325.
- Essure (prescribing information). Mountain View, Calif.: Conceptus Incorporated; 2011. http://www.essuremd.com/Home/LearningLibrary/Publications/tabid/314/Default.aspx. Accessed Dec. 12, 2011.
- Stovall TG. Surgical sterilization of women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 12, 2011.
- Roncari D, et al. Female and male sterilization. In: Hatcher RA, et al. Contraceptive Technology. 20th ed. New York, N.Y.: Ardent Media Inc.; 2011:435.
- Sterilization. In: Cunningham FG, ed. Williams Obstetrics. 3rd. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6032717. Accessed Dec. 15, 2011.
- Stubblefield PG, et al. Family planning. In: Berek JS, ed. Berek & Novak's Gynecology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007:248.
- Sterilization for women and men. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/~/media/ForPatients/faq011.ashx. Accessed Dec. 12, 2011.
- Smith RD. Contemporary hysteroscopic methods for female sterilization. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2010;108:79.
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