Bayer AG recently announced Essure will no longer be available in the United States after Dec. 31, 2018. The voluntary recall could strengthen the lawsuits filed by women who allege the permanent birth control device Essure implants injured them.

Essure implants consist of two metal and fiber coils that are inserted into the fallopian tubes through the vagina. These prickly coils are supposed to irritate the insides of the fallopian tubes just enough to spur the growth of scar tissue. Because of the way it is supposed to work, Essure was promoted as a “natural” means of blocking eggs from their release by the fallopian tubes.

Bayer also marketed Essure as a non-surgical solution for women who wanted permanent birth control without the downtime of having their tubes tied. However, Essure implants didn’t work instantly. The patient had to return to the doctor’s office at three months for a test to verify that scar tissue had completely blocked the fallopian tubes. In the meantime, other types of contraception were needed.

Essure Implants Allegedly Caused Problems

Essure was invented by a company known as Conceptus in 1998 and was FDA-approved in 2002. Bayer bought out Conceptus in 2013 and became the manufacturer and marketer of the Essure implants.

More than 5,000 adverse event reports were received by the FDA from women who claimed Essure caused serious side effects in just the first three years on the market.

Thousands of women have filed lawsuits after allegedly suffering from coils that migrated, fractured, or punctured the fallopian tubes. Hundreds of women allegedly endured ectopic pregnancies, constant bleeding, excruciating pelvic pain, fatigue, rashes, joint pain, and other painful side effects.

Bayer allegedly failed to report many adverse events. The FDA cited Bayer for not disclosing more than 16,000 complaints from women. The company also only reported 22 occurrences of organ perforation when they allegedly knew at least 144 organ perforations had been reported.

Some of the issues women have experienced are related to the materials used to create the Essure implants. The tiny stainless steel coils can become dislodged over time, which is concerning given the fact the Essure implants are intended to be permanent. Due to the coils containing a certain amount of nickel, any patient with a nickel allergy may experience a reaction in the form of swelling, inflammation, rashes or joint pain.

The plastic coating that creates the rough surface to induce scar tissue production is made of polyethylene terephthalate, commonly known as PET plastic. When placed in environments above 85 degrees, PET fibers can release endocrine-disrupting toxins that can mimic or block a natural hormone.

If the body mistakes the toxin for a hormone, the endocrine system might activate hormonal responses that should not be set in motion.

Are you one of the thousands of women who received Essure implants and have suffered debilitating side effects? You could be eligible to participate in this class action lawsuit investigation. If you or someone you love has been injured by Essure implants, you could benefit from speaking with an attorney regarding your legal options.