What is the Essure® Procedure?

Essure is different than the traditional method of a sugical tubal ligation. With Essure®, there is no cutting or burning of the body. Instead, an Essure® trained doctor inserts spring like coils, called micro-inserts, through the body's natural pathways (vagina, cervix, and uterus) and into your fallopain tubes.

During the first 3 months following the procedure, your body and the micro-inserts work together to form a tissue barrier that prevents sperm from reaching the egg. During this time you need to use another form of birth control.

After three months, your doctor will perform an Essure® Confirmation Test, a special type of x-ray to confirm that your tubes are completely blocked and that you can rely on Essure® micro-inserts for birth control.

What Are the Benefits?

• No cutting into the body so there are no unattractive scars
• 99.80% effective (based on 4 years of clinical data)
• Quick return to normal activities
• can be performed in a doctors office with minimal anesthesia
• No hormones or silicone to interfere with your body
• covered by most health insurance plans
• peace of mind with the Essure® Confirmation Test

What Are the Risks?

• Essure® is a permanent sterilization procedure and is not reversible
• No form of birth control should be considered 100% effective, including Essure®
• Not all women who undergo the Essure® procedure will achieve successful placement of both micro-inserts
• Another form of birth control must be used for 3 months after the procedure

The Essure® procedure is the first and only FDA approved permanent birth control procedure to have zero pregnancies in the clinical trials.

Additional information about the Essure procedure is available at www.essure.com or by calling the Essure Information line at 1-877-ESSURE1.

What is NovaSure®?

NovaSure® is an endometrial ablation (EA) procedure that provides a solution to heavy periods. NovaSure® is also a minimally invasive outpatient treatment alternative to hysterectomy and a choice that avoids the potential side effects of hormone therapy. NovaSure® delivers 90 seconds of precisely controlled radio frequency energy through a thin handheld wand to remove (ablate) the lining of the uterus (endometrium). This is why it is called an EA procedure.

The NovaSure® procedure is quick and simple. It can be done without general anesthesia in the doctor's office or an outpatient setting. After the NovaSure® procedure, 97% of patients do not experience pain. It is a minimally invasive procedure that does not require incisions and can typically be done in less than 5 minutes.

What Are the Benefits?

• Most women see a great decrease in theit level of menstrual bleeding
• In a clinical study 91% of women reported normal bleeding or less, and 41% reported no bleeding at all
• Many women also had a significant reduction in painful periods and PMS symptoms such as irritability
• After treatment, significantly fewer women complained of anxiousness about their period, difficulty with work and daily activities and lacking energy

What Are the Risks?

• Because the NovaSure® procedure ablates the lining of the uterus, it is only for women who are finished with having children
• There is still a small chance that pregnancy could occur, so it is necessary to use some form of birth control.
• Pregnancy may be dangerous for mother and child after any EA procedure

Additional information about the NovaSure procedure is available at www.NovaSure.com