Are you considering Essure reversal? If so I wanted to share some Essure reversal advice with you: be careful which doctor you choose for Essure reversal surgery.
This Essure reversal advice is for women looking for Essure reversal to become pregnant…not Essure removal to treat symptoms.
There are many doctors out there who can’t or won’t reverse Essure.
There are also those out there who say they reverse Essure but really are doing the wrong procedure (in my opinion).
Some are saying they are reversing Essure with success when they really are just reversing tubal ligation.
Essure reversal advice: Go with experience
In 2008, Dr. Berger and I performed the first successful Essure reversal which resulted in pregnancy. We reported this successful case in Obstetrics and Gynecology, the leading Ob/Gyn Journal in the US.
First reported and peer reviewed case of successful Essure reversal
Since this first case report, I have published a much larger study in the same journal in 2014.
Successful Essure reversal in a larger cohort of patients
From 2008 to July of 2016, I have performed over 315 surgeries to reverse or remove Essure devices. Over this time I have had the opportunity to review operative notes sent by patients who have experienced failed Essure reversal.
Essure reversal advice: The most difficult tubal ligation to reverse
Essure can be reversed but Essure is the most difficult tubal ligation to reverse.
In our experience, Essure reversal requires a tubouterine implantation procedure. We can safely perform this surgery as an outpatient procedure and the chance of pregnancy is 40%.
Although ectopic pregnancy is a risk of tubal surgery, we have only had three (3) patients report ectopic pregnancy after Essure reversal. This is far less than the 10% chance of ectopic with reversal of other types of tubal ligation. Although uterine rupture is a risk of Essure reversal, we have only had one (1) patient report rupture of the uterus at 36 weeks.
Essure reversal testimonials submitted by Dr Monteith’s patients
Since Essure is difficult to reverse many tubal reversal ‘specialist’ can’t or don’t even offer Essure reversal.
Advice: If the doctor does not list Essure reversal on their website…but when you call they tell you they do it…this means they are experimenting to see how things go. It means they are not comfortable advertising it as an offered procedure until they go through their learning process.
Over time I have seen many tubal reversal ‘specialist’ heavily advertise Essure reversal on their websites….and they have even criticized us for our technique and for recommending c-sections for patient safety. Some of these same ‘reversal specialist’ have since stopped offering Essure reversal.
I have lost a tremendous amount of professional respect for these physicians because they used decisive marketing tactics to lure patients and even bashed us for promoting maternal-fetal safety. I know who they are and will never forget.
When these doctors remove information from their website, I know from professional experience it is either because they had bad complications or not many successes. I follow my peers and know who is who in the profession. Unfortunately for many patients they are only aware of what is out there for the short time while they are looking for help.
Advice: Ask the doctor how many Essure reversals or removals they perform a week/month. If you can try to talk to their patients using social media to get real feedback.
Essure reversal advice: Most surgeons not doing the best reversal procedure
I have had the opportunity to review many operative notes from patients who have had Essure reversal elsewhere and who have not become pregnant. I would like to acknowledge I am not perfect and many of my patients may not have become pregnant after reversal but at least we perform what we think is the best reversal procedure.
I have seen many notes where the surgeon removes the Essure devices by pulling on them (not a good idea because they break) and then rejoin the tubes (not a good idea because the tubes, in the area where the Essure device were, are too damaged to function). This is called a tubotubal anastomosis (tube to tube rejoining). If your doctor is removing the devices and simply rejoining the tubes…you will almost be guaranteed to have a procedure that won’t work.
We all know what happens when you simply remove a belly button piercing or a tongue ring? The hole closes up!
Advice: Ask the doctor do they rejoin the tubal segments or remove the blockage and re-implant the healthy remaining tube. Ask them if they have had pregnancies. If so how many? Try and contact these women if you can.
Essure reversal advice: Are really reversing a traditional tubal ligation?
Many times the Essure procedure does not go well and the doctor has to put a clip or ring on the tube because the Essure fell out after insertion. When this patient goes for reversal, they get the Essure device reversed on one side and the tubal clip or ring reversed on the other side. Tubal clip or ring reversal can be 80% successful.
When these doctors report Essure reversal success they really reporting a successful reversal of tubal ring or tubal clip reversal….not Essure!
Advice: Any patients who report success should be asked if they had another type of tubal ligation that was reversed.
Essure can be reversed but you should carefully choose the surgeon who you feel comfortable with and who you believe can give you the best chance for pregnancy success.
