Bayer HealthCare is facing a new legal claim alleging serious Essure complications, which allegedly occurred soon after the permanent birth control device was implanted. This Essure lawsuit was filed by a woman from Nevada, alleging Bayer had failed to warn her against the potential Essure complications she could experience.

Plaintiff Volana P. alleges she sustained serious physical injuries due to these Essure complications and has been contending with the long-lasting effects of them ever since. Like thousands of other women in the United States, Volana opted for the Essure birth control device so she did not have to undergo a traditional tubal ligation.

In contrast to traditional female sterilization, the Essure birth control device offers a minimally invasive procedure with a significantly faster recovery time.

The Essure birth control device consists of two metal coils made of a nickel alloy, which are implanted into each fallopian tube. The coils stimulate the growth of scar tissue in the fallopian tube, which ultimately prevents sperm to egg fertilization. Initially, Bayer marketed the Essure birth control as a hassle-free female sterilization method.

This has allegedly not been the case for numerous women who have reported serious Essure complications. The FDA has required Bayer to implement numerous precautions to reduce the risk of injury to the patient. However, this has allegedly not protected women from device complications after it was implanted.

Volana says she had the Essure birth control device implanted on April 13, 2010 and suffered no initial complications. However, she says she started experiencing bleeding, pain, and cramping not long after its implementation.

Volana says she has since been contending with the long lasting effects of these Essure complications, and opted to file legal action soon after discovering that numerous women reported similar injuries and that these complications eventually led Bayer to pull the Essure device from the market.

Overview of Essure Complications

Hundreds of thousands of women have reported Essure complications since the contraceptive’s release in 2002, which has led to the formation of several consumer advocacy groups and thousands of Essure lawsuits.

One of the most well known consumer advocates against the Essure birth control is Erin Brockovich, who has helped lead a campaign to recall the permanent contraceptive from the market. Brockovich states that the Essure birth control is unreasonably dangerous to consumers, and never should have been approved for the market.

According to news outlets, Bayer has announced that the Essure birth control device will no longer be available on the market after 2018 but stated its recall was not due to consumer complaints. The Essure complications women have reported over the years include, but are not limited to:

• Device Migration
• Hysterectomy
• Pelvic Pain
• Back Pain
• Bloating
• Weight Gain
• Unusual Menstrual Bleeding
• Perforated Organs
• Ectopic Pregnancy
• Unplanned Pregnancy
• Allergic Reactions

Even though these Essure complications can be devastating to patients, Bayer allegedly failed to disclose the severity of these problems to the public. Volana states that she would not have agreed to have the device implanted, if she had known the full extent of Essure complications.

This Essure Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-03657-WB, in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.