Here's what you can expect before, during, and after the Adiana procedure:
Before the Adiana procedure
- The procedure should only be scheduled during the first half of your menstrual cycle, before you ovulate, to reduce the risk that you might be pregnant and not know it. Your doctor will give you a pregnancy test before the procedure to confirm you are not pregnant.
- You may be given an anti-inflammatory medicine, to take an hour or two before the procedure, to reduce discomfort.
During the Adiana procedure
- Your doctor may inject a local anesthetic into your uterus (the cervix). No general anesthesia is required, so you will probably be awake during the procedure.
- A slender telescope-like instrument called a hysteroscope is inserted into your vagina and passes through the cervix and into the uterus. It lets the doctor see inside your uterus and see the openings of your fallopian tubes. To make this possible, your uterus will be expanded with fluid, so you may experience some cramping.
- Next, a narrow, flexible tube, called the delivery catheter, is passed through the hysteroscope and into your fallopian tube. Your doctor will ask you to lie still for 60 seconds while a small amount of radiofrequency energy is applied. This will create a superficial lesion to a small section inside the fallopian tube.
- After the energy is applied, the delivery catheter places a tiny, soft insert in the area. This soft insert is made of silicone, and is about the size of a grain of rice.
- The procedure is then repeated in the other fallopian tube and the instruments are removed. The entire procedure usually takes less than 12 minutes.
Right after the Adiana procedure
- Before you leave the doctor’s office, you will receive discharge instructions. These instructions typically include the following information:
- After the procedure, you may experience mild cramping, very similar to menstrual cramps. Most women will be able to take an over-the counter pain medicine to relieve any cramping or mild pain.
- Spotting or light bleeding is normal after the procedure. If you have heavy bleeding, serious pain, fever or vaginal discharge, call your doctor immediately.
- You must use an alternate form of birth control for the next 3 months. It is very important not to have unprotected intercourse until you receive the results of the Adiana HSG Confirmation Test, confirming that your tubes are completely blocked, and you can no longer become pregnant.
- Be sure to check with your own doctor to find out what your specific discharge instructions are.
- Most women in the clinical study reported only slight or moderate discomfort after the procedure, and the majority of women returned to their normal activities within a day. 99% of women in the clinical trial rated their comfort level as “good” to “excellent” within one week of the procedure.
The next three months
- Over the next 3 months, your body goes through a natural healing process. In the area where the energy was applied, new tissue will begin to grow through and around the inserts. After 3 months, this tissue should completely block your fallopian tubes.
- During this 3-month waiting period, you are still fertile. It is very important that you use another form of birth control during this time.
- At the end of 3 months, you will have a special x-ray test called Adiana HSG (hysterosalpingogram) Confirmation Test. During the Adiana HSG, your uterus is filled with a contrast fluid, which is a dye that shows up in x-rays. Several x-rays are then taken of your uterus. Your doctor will study the images to make sure that the dye stops in the uterus and does not enter the fallopian tubes. This is how your doctor will know if your tubes are completely blocked.
- After your Adiana HSG is completed and your doctor confirms that your tubes are completely blocked, you can rely on the Adiana inserts for permanent birth control. You will not need to use any other form of birth control, since you can no longer become pregnant.
Beyond 3 months
Consider yourself free!
After your Adiana HSG confirms that your tubes are completely blocked, you will not need to use any other form of birth control. You can rely on the Adiana inserts for permanent contraception.
Remember, the Adiana procedure is permanent and cannot be reversed. The new tissue blocking your fallopian tubes is expected to prevent pregnancy for the rest of your life.
Is heavy menstrual bleeding a problem?
Find out about a no-hormone, no-hysterectomy solution to heavy periods.