Permanent Birth Control

Once you decide your family is complete, you should consider the benefits of permanent birth control. A one-time procedure will prevent pregnancy and relieve you of the stress of unplanned pregnancies and the expense and risks of hormone-based birth control.

Essure

The physicians of Women’s Health Care have performed tubal ligations (tying the tubes) for many years, and they still provide this service. But today there are new, in-office permanent birth control procedures that are very effective in preventing pregnancy while allowing women to avoid the extended recovery time and risks associated with traditional surgical procedures, such as anesthesia.

Essure is a gentle, hormone-free permanent birth control procedure that can be performed in your physician’s office in less than an hour. Many women are now choosing the Essure procedure because of its reliability and quick recovery time, which is a just few hours compared to days or longer. And many insurance plans cover the cost of the Essure procedure with just an office-visit co-pay, so choosing Essure can significantly reduce costs.

Ask your doctor about Essure or find out more at www.essure.com.

Adiana Permanent Contraception

Adiana Permanent Contraception is a safe, simple, minimally invasive procedure that permanently prevents pregnancy. Adiana uses no hormones or drugs, has a quick recovery time, and leaves nothing in the uterus that might limit future gynecologic procedures.

Three years of clinical data show that Adiana Permanent Contraception is 98.4% effective in preventing pregnancy, once your doctor confirms that your fallopian tubes are completely blocked. No birth control method is 100% effective.

Read more about Adiana Permanent Contraception at www.adiana.com.

How Adiana Works

The Adiana procedure works by stimulating your body’s tissue to grow in and around tiny, soft inserts that are placed inside your fallopian tubes.

Unlike temporary birth control methods, the Adiana method is permanent. Once your doctor confirms that your fallopian tubes are completely blocked you will no longer have to rely on a temporary birth control method.

Adiana inserts use no drugs or hormones that can disrupt your menstrual cycle or affect your natural body chemistry.

What to Expect

The Adiana procedure:

Can be done in your doctor’s office
Requires no incisions
Does not require general anesthesia
Takes less than 12 minutes, typically
Causes little or no pain, according to most women
Allows you to return to regular activities within a day

What does the procedure entail?

Here are the four steps to the Adiana procedure:

Step 1 – A slender, flexible catheter is passed through the vagina and cervix and into the uterus. The catheter delivers a low level of radiofrequency energy that generates heat to create a superficial lesion to a small section of each fallopian tube.

Step 2 – A tiny, soft insert - about the size of a grain of rice - is placed in each fallopian tube where the lesion was created.

Step 3 – Over the next 3 months patients must use another form of birth control while new tissue grows in and around the Adiana inserts, eventually blocking the fallopian tubes.

Step 4 – Three months after the procedure, a special test is performed (hysterosalpingogram or HSG) to confirm that the tubes are fully blocked and the procedure has been successful.

How do I know if Adiana is right for me?

If you are absolutely sure that you never want to have any children in the future, Adiana may be right for you.

Adiana is right for many women, but not all. You should not consider Adiana or any form of permanent birth control if:

There is any chance you will want children in the future
You are going through a stressful time such as a divorce, miscarriage, injury, job loss or any traumatic experience
Someone is pressuring you to undergo a permanent birth control procedure

Adiana Permanent Contraception CANNOT be used if you:

Have already had a tubal ligation ("had your tubes tied")
Take immunosuppressive medicines (any drugs that prevent or block the activity of your body's natural defenses)
Have an allergy to contrast fluid (the fluid used in the test conducted 3 months after the procedure to confirm the tubes are blocked)
Have some abnormality that affects the uterus and therefore prevents the doctor from performing the procedure
Cannot have the procedure done in both fallopian tubes (even if one tube is thought to be blocked or you have only one tube)
Have any personal doubts about ending your fertility

What are the risks?

As with all medical procedures, there are some risks associated with the Adiana procedure, including:

A small risk of pregnancy, including ectopic pregnancy
Failure to achieve correct placement of the inserts
Mild to moderate cramping, vaginal spotting or bleeding, pelvic or back pain, or nausea during or immediately after the procedure

You must delay having the Adiana procedure if you:

Are pregnant, or suspect you might be pregnant
Have been pregnant or given birth in the last 3 months
Have current clinical evidence of a pelvic infection, or recently had a pelvic infection

Your doctor can explain all the medical factors involved, including the benefits and risks of the procedure.