KELSEYVILLE – Dr. Paula Dhanda now offers the Essure procedure for permanent birth control for women.

Over half the pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, often due to contraception failures. The Essure procedure is 99.80-percent effective based on four years of followup and is covered by most health insurance plans.

The Essure procedure offers women permanent protection against pregnancy without cutting or general anesthesia. Soft, flexible coils called micro-inserts are placed into each fallopian tube. Over the next three months tissue naturally grows into the micro-inserts forming a barrier that prevents sperm from reaching and fertilizing the egg.

A confirmation test is performed at three months to let the woman know that she can rely on Essure for permanent birth control.

“It’s easy to foresee that Essure will become the preferred method of contraception for women who have completed their families and want the security of knowing they’re protected,” said Dr. Dhanda, an expert in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery who has practiced in Lake County for almost two decades. “Best of all it can be done in about 15 minutes in our office, avoiding the anxiety and expense of going to the hospital. Women return to their normal activities the next day.”

Tens of thousands of women worldwide have chosen the Essure procedure as their method of permanent birth control (sterilization) since 1998. In a clinical study on the Essure procedure, 96 percent of patients said they would recommend the procedure to a friend.

Contact Dr. Paula Dhanda, medical director of Specialty Care and Surgery Center, at 279-8733 for more information on the Essure procedure.

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