New Birth Control Option Offered

SPRINGFIELD — Women seeking permanent birth control now have a new, non-invasive option that was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — the Essure procedure.

Unlike tubal ligation, which remains one of the most popular forms of female birth control in the U.S., Essure does not require any incision or penetration of the abdomen, and can be performed without general anesthesia. In addition, Essure’s non-invasive procedure allows women to return home 45 minutes after the procedure is completed and return to work generally in one day or less after the day of the procedure.

Drs. Howard Trietsch and Elliot Greenberg of Baystate Ob/Gyn Group now offer the state-of-the-art option to patients.

“Offering permanent birth control without the drawbacks of an abdominal incision is an important technological step in the field of women’s health care,” said Trietsch. “We’re excited to offer Essure to our patients.”

During the Essure procedure, a soft micro-insert is placed in the fallopian tube through the cervix using a small catheter. Once in place, the device stimulates tissue growth in and around the micro-insert, forming an occlusion, or blockage, in the fallopian tube, causing permanent sterilization. The FDA approved the procedure based on data from two separate clinical trials involving more than 600 women who relied on the current Essure design for one to two years.