You might be one of the millions of women around the world who was looking for a permanent birth control option, but didn’t want traditional abdominal sterilization, so you took a chance and had Essure placed. It sounded perfect for you at the time. You didn’t have to remember to take a pill, it was non-hormonal and could even be inserted in your physician’s office.
It was great until it wasn’t.
Now here you are a few years down the road and feeling like your body has turned its back on you. From chronic pelvic pain, heavy painful periods, rashes, migraines, autoimmune diagnosis’ you can’t help but wonder if it’s all related. For your peace of mind and for your health you decided to have the Essure coils taken out of your body so the research process begins… and now you’ve found yourself here.
As a physician who has been removing Essure for several years and having done over 700 removals, I consider myself an expert. Each week, in the clinic or the Operating Room, I answer questions from women that have not received answers from their hometown gynecologist. It is so important to me to give you the facts and let you know that you do have options and there is someone out there willing and wanting to help you. First and foremost when thinking about having Essure removed there are a few questions you need to ask yourself.
1. Are you experiencing any symptoms related to Essure?
If you are having symptoms then yes, I recommend you have them removed.
-Symptoms may include, but are not limited to:
-Chronic pelvic pain
-Abnormal or heavy bleeding
-Severe menstrual cramps
-Fatigue
-Hair loss
-Chronic pain
-Headaches/Migraines
-Weight gain
-Depression
-Perforation of the uterus or other organs,
-Migration of the device or its components from the fallopian tubes
2. Are you wanting to get pregnant again?
When considering having Essure removed an important thing to know is if you’re wanting to try and get pregnant or if you’re just wanting the coils taken out. This decision dictates whether you need to have essure removal or essure reversal.
The topic of pregnancy and Essure is the main deciding factor in having an Essure removal surgery or Essure reversal surgery. So what exactly is the difference?
What is Essure Removal?
I have been doing Essure removals since 2013. In this time I’ve found that most women simply want the coils removed, however many women are being told by their doctors that their only option is a hysterectomy, which is not true. Unfortunately there are many physicians removing the coils improperly causing more unnecessary problems for women.
If you want a hysterectomy it is an option and is considered very safe for removal. With a hysterectomy your uterus and fallopian tubes are taken out together so you eliminate the chance of the physician pulling on the coils, causing fragments being left behind. If you are opting for a hysterectomy I recommend that it be done laparoscopically versus vaginally. When the hysterectomy is done vaginally it increases the risk of fragments being left behind, which can cause you to potentially have symptoms even after removal. If this does occur the physician may have to go back in for a second surgery to have the fragments removed.
Another option for removal that most physicians don’t offer is a bilateral salpingectomy with a partial cornuectomy. This is the only procedure that I personally recommend for the removal if you only want tubes removed. In simpler terms this is where I would go in laparoscopically and remove your fallopian tubes and just the corners of your uterus where the coils are attached. This is an ideal option for those women who don’t want a hysterectomy and don’t desire pregnancy afterwards. Although pregnancy is still an option with this surgery through IVF.
A couple important things to note about Essure Removal are:
1. Insurance will cover this procedure
2. You do not have to have a hysterectomy
3. An experienced physician will give you the option to keep your uterus and/or ovaries
4. Never have the coils removed via a vaginal hysterectomy
5. Consult with a physician experienced in removal to reduce your risk of fragments being left behind causing you to undergo a second surgery.
6. Pregnancy is an option with a bilateral salpingectomy and partial cornuectomy through IVF.
What is Essure Reversal?
Essure reversal is done properly by very few physicians throughout the United States. To put this into context for those of my patients who are wanting essure reversal, which is a procedure that I personally don’t do, are referred to a different physician. You have one chance to have a reversal done right so I want these women in the best hands out there. With a reversal the physician will go in and cut out the implant and reinsert the tube to the uterus. Essure reversal is common for women who want to try to get pregnant naturally after having Essure placed, although it isn’t guaranteed to be successful.
A few important facts about essure reversal include:
1. Insurance will not cover this procedure
2. You must go to an experienced physician to have this done properly and successfully
3. I only recommend this procedure based on what the patient wants
4. Essure reversal gives you the chance to get pregnant naturally, but it is not guaranteed
If you have Essure and would like to consult with me to explore your options, I am honored to help. I have patients travel from other states and even other countries so that I can help them with Essure Removal. If you would like to visit me in my clinic in Austin, Texas then please call 512-956-0296 to schedule your consultation. For those women who are not local to Austin, but would like to consult with me I have fast tracked the process to make it very simple for you. You can either call my office and schedule a virtual consultation or visit my website here and someone from my office will reach out to coordinate a consult time that works best for you. Virtual consultations are easy, allowing you to have all imaging and testing done local to you, which in turn allows you to come to Austin only one time, for your actual procedure.
Remember, you only have one chance to have Essure removed right, so the closest or most convenient doctor is not always the best!
