Women suffering complications from Essure say they were never warned of the permanent birth control’s dangers.

Essure was originally created and marketed by Conceptus, a company that sold the product to Bayer.

Bayer has sold thousands of women the permanent, non-hormonal birth control device because it is the only non-surgical permanent method of birth control on the market. It offers irreversible results with no down time because the procedure can be done in a doctor’s office with no anesthesia.

Essure consists of metal and plastic coils that are inserted vaginally into each fallopian tube. Over the course of several months, scar tissue develops around the coils, creating a physical block to avoid conception.

Women implanted with Essure need a three-month evaluation to make sure the scar tissue has completely blocked their fallopian tubes. Prior to that verification, other birth control should be used.

Of the more than 750,000 women who have been implanted with the coils, thousands have reported horrible complications from Essure.

The permanent birth control device was approved by the FDA in 2002, but that approval was based on studies of only 745 patients who were followed up to 24 months. Long-term issues and the ability of the coils to stay in the right place were not known when Essure was introduced on the market.

Women Allege Complications from Essure Were Known

When Conceptus was conducting studies, the company allegedly painted a rosier picture of their patients’ results than the facts showed. At least one patient noted she told the company she experienced unusual pain, but Conceptus reported she had no pain at all.

Among the reported complications from Essure:

1. Essure coils are made of passivated stainless steel, which means the metal is treated with chemicals to make it less reactive in the human body. Over time, Essure coils can become unpassivated, leaving them open to the possibility of rust and degradation. Leaching metal ions can result in metal poisoning.
2. The coils also contain nickel. Original Essure marketing materials didn’t mention nickel, which is important because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that up to 20 percent of the population has a nickel allergy. Some of the joint pain, achiness, fatigue, and rashes that women experience as complications from Essure could be indicative of a nickel allergy.
3. Each of the two metal coils is coated in PET plastic, which is known to degrade, leaching toxic chemicals once the plastic is exposed to temperatures exceeding 85 degrees. Because the human body runs around 98 degrees, the plastic’s toxins can enter the system and cause chronic inflammation and possible autoimmune responses.
4. Because the coils are inserted vaginally, the doctor “blindly” places the coils in the fallopian tubes. Women have reported damage to nerves and to the uterine wall. The coils also have traveled to other parts of the body or punctured fallopian tubes. When scar tissue has not completely blocked sperm from reaching an egg, women have experienced ectopic pregnancies.

If you or someone you love have experienced complications from Essure permanent birth control, you could benefit from speaking with a lawyer regarding your legal options.