Tubal Implants Procedure

Treatment Overview

Tubal implants are a permanent type of birth control. They are small metal springs that are placed in your fallopian tubes. This is done without cutting the skin.

Over time, scar tissue grows around each implant. The scar tissue blocks the tubes. This stops eggs from moving from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes. These are the tubes where the egg is fertilized by a sperm.

The procedure is done in a doctor's office or an outpatient surgery center. It may be done in a hospital. It takes about 30 minutes. You may be able to go back to your normal routine the same day. But if you have medicine to help you relax, give yourself a day to rest.

What To Expect

• Most people can return to normal activities the same day as the procedure. You may have cramps, vaginal bleeding, or discomfort in your pelvis or back.
• Be sure to use another method of birth control for 3 months, until an X-ray confirms that the fallopian tubes are blocked.

How Well It Works

Tubal implants are not 100% effective at preventing pregnancy.

• Studies show that over 2 years, fewer than 1 out of 100 women with implants got pregnant.^{footnote 1}
• A tubal implant can be difficult to insert. Some women have to have a repeat procedure before both tubal implants are properly placed.

Risks

Most women who have tubal implants don't have problems. Some women do have problems, such as:

• Pelvic pain.
• Rash or itching, if she is allergic to nickel.
• Movement of the implant through a fallopian tube into the belly or pelvis.
• A break in the wall of the uterus or fallopian tube.

About 2 to 3 out of 100 women who have Essure will need another operation within 1 year.^{footnote 2}

Before you receive implants, you may be tested to make sure that you don't have a vaginal infection or a sexually transmitted infection (STI).