Laparoscopic Essure® Device Removal by En Bloc Salpingectomy-Cornuectomy with Intraoperative X-Ray Checking: A Retrospective Cohort Study

To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and morbidity of Essure® device removal via laparoscopic en bloc salpingectomy-cornuectomy resection (LSC) and the utility of confirmation of complete removal with an intraoperative X-ray of the removed specimen (IX-S). Retrospective observational cohort study. Academic hospitals of La Conception, Marseille, and Arnaud-de-Villeneuve, Montpellier, France. Women who were not seeking future fertility seeking Essure® device removal by salpingectomy, between February 2017 and August 2018. All women underwent LSC. An IX-S was performed to confirm complete Essure® device removal. In the case of an unsatisfactory IX-S, an intraoperative pelvic X-ray control of the patient (IX-P) was performed. If IX-P diagnosed residual Essure® fragments, an additional resection was performed, and the removed tissue was checked by IX-S. We included 72 women, and a total of 140 Essure® devices were removed. The IX-S confirmed complete Essure® device removal in 131 of 140 cases (93.6%) in 63 of 72 women (87.5%). Out of the 9 women with unsatisfactory IX-S, 6 had no residual Essure® fragments at IX-P, and Essure® device removal was considered complete. Three women had a persistent Essure® fragment at IX-P: an additional resection allowed complete removal in 2 cases and resulted in failure in 1 of 140 case (0.7%). There were 2 of 72 women (2.8%) intraoperative complications and 4 of 72 women (5.6%) postoperative grade 1 complications according to the Clavien–Dindo classification. Essure® device removal by LSC appears to be an effective and safe procedure. IX-S is a useful method to evaluate whether the removal of Essure® device is complete during an LSC procedure.