Special Report: Preventing Pregnancy

Laura Katz is the proud mother of three children, and she wants it to stay that way.

Laura Katz, 35 years old
"I'm so done having kids. I'm at my max. I could not deal with any more kids."

Laura wanted permanent birth control without surgery. Tubal Ligation commonly called getting your tubes tied is a surgical sterilization technique.

It closes the fallopian tubes blocking the egg and sperm from each other. The tubes are then cut and closed with rings or clips.

Laura Katz, 35 years old
"I didn't want to go through a general surgery with a three to five day recovery period when I knew I have young children at home to take care of."

Now, with this tiny coil, Laura got permanent birth control, without incisions or general anesthesia

Dr. Mark Levie, Montefiore Med. Ctr.
"We're actually using the patient's own body to cause a natural occlusion."

The procedure called Essure is the first alternative for women seeking permanent birth control.

A soft micro-insert is placed in the fallopian tube using a tiny catheter. The device then causes tissue growth around the micro-insert forming a blockage in the fallopian tube.

Essure can be done in the doctor's office. For Laura, it took about half and hour and she was able to leave just forty-five minutes after the procedure.

Laura Katz, 35 years old
"You don't have to worry about taking birth control pills.I wanted to take control of my body, I wanted a choice for me."

While there's a slight chance Tubal Ligation can be reversed, the Essure procedure is completely irreversible. Women who are interested should talk to their doctor first, to see if it's right for them.