The Onze Lieve Vrouwen Gasthuis wants to set the new sterilization method Essure as standard.
With the Essure method A small viewing tube is used so that an operation under anesthesia is not necessary.
During the treatment, a tube is inserted through the vagina and the uterine cavity, with which a spring is placed in the opening of the fallopian tubes. The spring contains small polyester fibers that ensure that the fallopian tubes close up. This closing takes about three months and makes the procedure very effective but irreversible †
Currently, only a few health insurers reimburse the procedure. More is expected to be added in the coming years.
In the Netherlands, more than half of all couples over the age of 35 have one of the two partners sterilized † Men are four times more likely to have the procedure than women. The explanation for this is that it is often thought that women have to undergo surgery for sterilization, which raises the threshold.
