New Permanent Birth Control Method -
Convenient, Comfortable and Effective

by Beverly Towne, MD, Parkview Women's Healthcare, Brunswick, Maine

So you've come to the conclusion. You need permanent birth control. Between work, family, friends and well…life…you have no time or desire to be pregnant. Maybe your family is complete, maybe you chose to not have children, or maybe you have medical reasons to not get pregnant. So you start searching the options. You don't want the hassle of trying to remember to take a pill, and your husband turns light green every time you mention a vasectomy. You don't have the time for surgery. What busy woman can afford to be laid up for several days? Besides…ouch! So what else is there?

Advances in minimally invasive surgery have revolutionized among other areas, the field of women's health. One such innovation is the 2002 FDA approval of the Essure device, a new permanent birth control system that requires no incisions and minimal recovery. After a four-year clinical study, the Essure procedure has been proven 99.8% effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies. The procedure can be performed in the comfort of a physician's office, does not require general anesthesia, and takes only 35 minutes to complete.

This is very good news for women seeking permanent birth control. Previously the only option available required an incision in the abdominal wall performed in an operating room, with the patient usually requiring spinal or general anesthesia. Women undergoing this procedure are hospitalized for several hours, require several days to fully recover and can expect a 1-3.5% chance of failure. In contrast, the Essure procedure is done without an incision. After a vaginal exam, the doctor places a very small telescope device called a hysteroscope through the cervix and into the uterus. The doctor can see the opening of the fallopian tube to the uterus and places a micro-insert into the tube. This insert causes scar tissue to form creating tubal blockage over a three-month period. There are several physicians in the State of Maine now offering the procedure, and that number is expected to grow now that there is significant evidence of its effectiveness and convenience.

Dr. Beverly Towne was one of the OB/GYNs asked to participant in the FDA required post approval study, which was designed to rate how successful newly trained physicians were at placing the device. Dr. Towne and her colleagues had excellent results and the study concluded early. Parkview Women's Healthcare is currently the only Maine physician practice offering the procedure in office.

For more information about Essure and other women's health procedures call 207-729-6868 or go to www.essure.com.

Dr. Beverly Towne is an OB/GYN with Parkview Women's Healthcare, an OB/GYN primary care practice at Parkview Adventist Medical Center in Brunswick, Maine. Parkview is known region wide for exceptional women's health services. Parkview Adventist Medical Center is a 55-bed acute care hospital treating the whole person-body, mind, and spirit, while utilizing state-of-the-art technology to provide progressive health care and wellness education to help people both get well and stay well. Since it opened in 1959, Parkview Adventist Medical Center has continued to grow and meet patient needs through technological advancements, adding more comprehensive services and hiring only the finest and most caring people to our staff.


 

 

 

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