Sterilization

Sterilization is the surgical blockage of the pathways for egg or sperm. Either a man or women can be sterilized. This is meant to be a permanent form of birth control, so consider it carefully before you decide.

Reversal procedures are often ineffective, and require expensive major surgery. And they are generally not covered by medical insurance.

Tubal sterilization for women

There are several different procedures but they all involve cutting or blocking the fallopian tubes, so that an egg cannot descend into the cervix and get fertilized. These are performed under a general anesthetic.

Another option that does not require general anesthetic (and that we can perform in the comfort of our clinics) is the Essure procedure. Essure is the first and only FDA approved female sterilization method to have zero pregnancies in clinical trials. It's gaining popularity with our patients because a) it requires no general anesthesia and can be done quickly, b) there is no cutting into the body and c) with very little discomfort or time, they can have permanent, reliable birth control. To learn more about Essure, click here .

Vasectomy for men

Sterilization for men involves cutting the vas deferens, which carries sperm into the semen ducts. This is a simple, relatively painless outpatient procedure usually done in an office or clinic, under local anesthetic.

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Sterilization

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