Long-term follow-up after successful Essure sterilization: evaluation of patient satisfaction, symptoms, and the influence of negative publicity

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate long-term patient satisfaction and symptoms after successful Essure sterilization and the influence of negative publicity on patients' opinion.

DESIGN: Survey study.

SETTING: Two nonacademic hospitals.

PATIENT(S): All 924 women who underwent successful Essure sterilization between 2003 and 2009.

INTERVENTION(S): A questionnaire was sent between 2008 and 2010 and in 2018.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Patient satisfaction, symptoms, and the influence of negative publicity on patients' opinion of Essure sterilization.

RESULT(S): After a median follow-up of 29 months, 689 of 924 women (74.6%) responded to the first questionnaire. Of these women, 673 of 689 (97.7%) was satisfied with their Essure sterilization and 607 of 689 (88.1%) recommended Essure sterilization to other women. Of the 689 women, 71 (10.3%) reported having symptoms after Essure sterilization for which they had to consult a physician. Most reported symptoms were menstrual and abdominal pain. After a median follow-up of 144 months, 317 of 577 women (54.9%) responded to the second questionnaire. A total of 157 of 317 (49.5%) women reported having symptoms and in 51 (16.1%) women the Essure devices were surgically removed. Among these women, 29 (57%) reported that their symptoms disappeared afterward and 33 of 51 (65%) women reported that negative publicity had somehow affected their decision to undergo surgery.

CONCLUSION(S): After a follow-up of 144 months, approximately 50% of the women reported having symptoms and 16% underwent Essure removal surgery. Publicity had a negative influence on patients' opinion of Essure sterilization, as well as an effect on the decision-making process regarding Essure removal. These data are important when facing women with possible Essure-related complaints.