The Insertion Process
I had my Eversense E3 CGM insertion about six weeks ago, performed by my colleague and former UCSD endocrinology fellow Dr. David Ahn. Dr. Ahn has done hundreds of Eversense insertions. The procedure took literally less than 10 minutes, and we did it at the TCOYD® office on a massage table! You can watch the insertion video here. After a little numbing medication (lidocaine) was injected under the skin on the side of my arm, Dr. Ahn inserted the small sensor with a special “inserter” tool designed to make it super easy. You can see the size of the sensor here. Once the sensor was inserted, Dr. Ahn put a few Steri-Strips (Steri-Strips are just a type of band-aid with a stronger adhesive) over the site, and that was it! He was done before I knew it. In six months I will get the sensor taken out and have a new one put in. When the new sensor is inserted, it’s put in a different location (typically in the same location in the other arm).
Adhesives
The Eversense E3 comes with two different colors of double-sided adhesives…white and clear. The adhesive is placed over the insertion site, and a very light transmitter is placed on top.
Mobile App, Transmitter, & Accuracy
There’s an E3 app (compatible with Apple and Android) you download to your smartphone, and it shows you all the typical metrics of a CGM device including glucose averages, standard deviation, etc. The app also has a placement guide to help you put the transmitter on in the correct location over the sensor. The transmitter is so light I can barely feel it. It sends a glucose value to my smartphone every five minutes. I take my transmitter off to charge it (it only takes 5 -10 minutes) when I take a shower or make a cup of coffee in the morning. It’s recommended that you charge it once a day, but mine seems to last two days. The E3 requires two calibrations per day with a finger stick measurement for three weeks, and then you only have to calibrate once a day. The E3 is extremely accurate and there’s typically only a 5 to 10% difference from my glucose meter reading, which is very comforting.
One thing I particularly like about this system is the silent, vibrating on-body alerts when I hit my upper and lower levels. The vibration pattern is different for the high and the low alert. You can also easily remove the transmitter when you want the freedom of not having it on (e.g., for scuba diving or being intimate – hopefully not both at the same time) but you will not get any readings when it’s off. The double-sided adhesive tape is comfortable and comes off when you’re charging the transmitter and cleaning your skin. You can leave the very light transmitter on while doing almost any activity. It’s water-resistant submerged in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes so you can even swim with it on, but do not try it if you cannot swim! At this time, the E3 doesn’t communicate with pumps, but that feature is in the works.
Airport Security and MRIs
I just traveled to Germany and I kept the transmitter on while going through TSA – there are no problems there. If you have to have an MRI you will need to remove the transmitter for the procedure, but you can put it on again right after.
In Conclusion
There are a few excellent CGM devices on the market with different form factors. The E3 offers another choice for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who could benefit from getting frequent glucose values with trend arrows, alerts, and alarms. Each CGM system varies slightly, and it’s nice to have options so you can find what works best for you. Different strokes for different folks!
For more information and videos about the Eversense E3 system, visit their website. Click here to see where the E3 is available worldwide.
Additional Resources:
Watch Dr. E’s Eversense E3 CGM Insertion – We Filmed It LIVE!
Eversense E3 CGM Approved for Two Sensors per Year: Your “Happily Ever(sense) After”
Could a 6-Month CGM Be Your Happily Ever(sense) After?
My Life-Changing Trial of the Eversense CGM
Type 1 Elite Powerlifter Turns Pain Into Purpose
I wish you could convince an Endo who takes Medicare here in Honolulu to do the insertions! I’ll need to travel to the mainland twice a year if I want the luxury of a six month CGM.
Thanks for keeping us all informed.
Judy
Hi Judith,
We’ll do some research and see if there are any practitioners on Oahu. Will let you know!
I was planning to get the EverSense BGMa month before Covid shut everything down. My endo, Dr. Alan Parsa in Honolulu said he could insert it for me and I believe he accepts Medicare patients.
Oh that’s great! Thank you for sharing…and Dr. Parsa is awesome!
Actually, this bad boy is cool with MRI’s not like other CGMS
https://www.senseonics.com/investor-relations/news-releases/2019/01-30-2019-002321416
Hi Sydney,
The sensor is fine, but you do need to remove the transmitter for an MRI procedure.
You are correct my good man still way better than removing the entire CGM like Dexcom and Libre. Really enjoyed your video too. I always enjoy levity in the myriad of our health trials and tribulations – kudos!
Appreciate it!
Can you comment on which one is preferred Dexcom or Eversense?
It’s really a matter of personal preference. They are both excellent systems.
Hi how can i gad hold of the E3divice
You can visit their website here:
https://www.ascensiadiabetes.com/eversense/
Scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and there will be a form you can fill out to get started. A rep from the company will reach out to you!
Are you giving yourself shots while using this thing, since it doesn’t communicate with pumps, or do you input the data into a pump or is there and app that sends data to a pump?
Right now you take the information from the Eversense E3 app and manually enter numbers into your pump (if you’re using one). Although the Eversense isn’t communicating with pumps at the current time, the company is working on it big time.