Currently, women seeking permanent birth control have to undergo some form of surgery, which involves several days of recuperation. A new procedure is changing that. It can be performed in an office setting without any incisions or long recovery. And it’s available at a handful of medical centers, including University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

It’s called Essure– an non-surgical sterilization option for women. Essure deploys this soft, micro-insert into the fallopian tube through the cervix. Craig Syrop, M.D., an OB/GYN specialist with University of Iowa Health Care, is the first physician in Iowa to receive training in the procedure.

" The recovery time from this – at least historically in the studies that have been done – has been quite rapid. So as opposed to having a sore abdomen, women following the Essure system are better able to return to normal activities in a more rapid pace," says Syrop.

Specialists place the Essure device using a minimally invasive catheter. Essure is designed to cause tissue growth in and around the micro-insert, to form a blockage of the fallopian tube.

Zoe Fox was one of the first to receive Essure. She was able to return to normal activities the same day of the procedure.

" When you are finally sure-sure that you really don’t want to have any more children, then this would be a great means to achieve that," says Fox.

Like all birth control methods, this new technique is not 100-percent effective, and pregnancy can still occur.

There is also a three-month waiting period after the procedure, during which women must use another form of birth control. After that, research shows the micro-inserts are 99.8 percent effective in preventing pregnancy.

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