Essure Reversal: What You Need to Know

For decades women have been having tubal ligation surgeries in an effort to prevent pregnancy. This procedure is normally done after a woman has given birth to her third child; that is it is normally recommended at this time. However, some women choose to have the procedure after their first child if they have no desire to become pregnant again. The problem with this is that women often regret having this procedure performed and wish it were a decision that they could take back. Fortunately, a new method of tubal serialization was developed and introduced in the US in the year 2002. This is called the Essure sterilization and comes with a much better possibility of being reversed.

What Is Essure Sterilization?

Unlike the older forms of tubal ligation, this procedure will not actually cause irreparable damage to the tubes. It will however cause scar tissue in the tubes but this seems to be much easier to reverse than any of the earlier methods. The way Essure works is that a tiny coil is placed into the thinnest portion of the fallopian tube, this is called the isthmic portion. As the tube heals around the coil, scar tissue will develop, thereby closing the tube. While this procedure is intended to last permanently, there is a very good possibility that an Essure sterilization reversal can be performed.

Essure Reversal: How Is it Done?

The procedure used to reverse Essure is typically done on an outpatient basis and takes less than an hour and a half. The procedure is done by way of a very small abdominal incision and is called a tubouterine implantation. The healthier part of each of the fallopian tubes is divided from the uterus. Because a small part of the metal coil actually protrudes into the cavity of the uterus, both coils are removed from the uterine wall in order to avoid potential complications in any subsequent pregnancies. The uterine muscle is opened, thereby exposing the uterine cavity. The healthy part of the tube is then reinserted into the cavity of the uterus on both sides. In effect this procedure works by bypassing whatever portion of the tube was scarred and typically causes a complete reversal of Essure.

Becoming Pregnant After Essure Reversal

It is very possible to become pregnant after having an Essure reversal procedure. In fact, since Essure has been around for about 9 years now, there has been a significant number of women requesting this procedure and having it done successfully. Normally a woman will take a good year or two before she begins to regret the decision to have tubal ligation or Essure and then about another couple of years before she will actually go about the business of looking into a reversal. Because the procedure has been around for awhile, the evidence is in that not only are many women requesting this process but that it does actually work. The chance for pregnancy after the tubourtine implantation seems to be at around 50%.

How Painful Is the Essure Procedure?

Pain does not seem to be a common complaint among women who have had the Essure sterilization procedure. However, there have been some complaints reported but not nearly as many as women who have had older forms of tubal ligation procedures. Essure is still very new and so much more data and research will be needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn about possible side effects or complications, including pain. As with any other procedure, every woman is different and every case will be different as well. There is simply no way to determine whether or not each individual woman who has the procedure will experience pain.

How Much Does Essure Reversal Cost?

Essure reversal usually carries about the same cost as any other type of tubal ligation reversal. The current cost of the Essure procedure is right at about the $6500 to $7000. Many physicians who offer this procedure allow patients to pay on a prepayment plan which would allow them to slowly pay toward the Essure reversal procedure over a period of time. While this is the basic cost, there are some doctors who do charge a bit more. As of right now there are some insurance companies who will cover part of the cost or even the full cost of the Essure procedure. Always check with your carrier to see if you can be covered under your current insurance policy.

Who Is the Best Candidate?

The most ideal candidate for an Essure reversal procedure is a patient who has never had any other forms of procedures done on their uterus or tubes. While the reversal can be done on anyone, the chance of becoming pregnant after having multiple tubal ligation procedures is quite low. A woman who has only had Essure and wishes to have it reversed in order to become pregnant has a very good chance of doing so. The best way to determine if you are a good candidate for the Essure reversal procedure is to check with a medical professional who has extensive experience with Essure.

The best way to avoid getting into a situation where you regret having some kind of tubal alteration done in order to avoid becoming pregnant is to think it out very carefully prior to doing it. It is important to keep in mind that just because there is a good chance the reversal procedure will go without a hitch, it is not 100% effective and there is still a chance you may never be able to become pregnant again.