A woman from Ohio recently filed legal action against Bayer HealthCare, alleging she suffered painful Essure side effects soon after getting the permanent birth control product implanted. This Essure lawsuit describes several painful side effects that numerous other women allegedly experienced and that have gotten Bayer placed under public scrutiny.

According to the Essure lawsuit, plaintiff Jessica C. had the Essure coils implanted for permanent sterilization on May 5, 2009. Jessica reportedly experienced no initial complications but says she suffered painful Essure side effects not long after.

These complications included abdominal and pelvic pain as well as other severe long term symptoms that have impacted her daily life, she says. These complications allegedly forced Jessica to undergo a loop electrosurgical excision and bilateral salpingectomy on Jan. 10, 2017 to remove the coils.

During this procedure, surgeons reportedly found that at least one of the Essure coils had fractured and was irretrievable. Jessica says the piece of the fragmented Essure coil is still embedded in her body, causing the painful symptoms to continue.

Jessica filed this Essure lawsuit soon after discovering that there were thousands of similar injury reports and that Bayer may have severely downplayed the potential complications associated with their device. She states she would not have had the Essure birth control device implanted if she had been aware of its allegedly defective nature.

Overview of Essure Complications

The Essure birth control system was marketed as a noninvasive alternative to traditional tubal ligation. Essure consists of two metal coils that are implanted into each of the fallopian tubes. Once in place, the implants stimulate the growth of scar tissue inside the fallopian tubes. This is meant to block sperm to egg fertilization on a permanent basis.

It takes approximately three months for the Essure birth control device to completely prevent pregnancy, requiring no extended hospital time for the patients in comparison to hysterectomy.

However, Bayer recently made the decision to stop selling the Essure birth control device on Dec. 18, 2018, reportedly due to declining sales.

While Bayer stated the reason for this decision was purely based on business, critics believe the severe Essure side effects reported played a contributing factor. Potential Essure complications ranged in severity from cramping to severely traumatic experiences like ectopic pregnancy, in which the fetus develops on the outside of the uterus.

Other Essure complications reported by patients include, but are not limited to:

• Mild to Severe Abdominal Cramping
• Vaginal Bleeding
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Pelvic or Back Pain
• Tear or Perforation of Uterus or Fallopian Tubes
• Unwanted Pregnancy
• Allergic Reactions including Hives or Swelling
• Headache
• Weight Fluctuations

Even though there are a wide range of potential Essure complications, Bayer is accused of failing to disclose this information to the general public. There have been thousands of injury reports submitted to the FDA regarding these potential reactions, leading consumer advocates to argue that Essure never should have been approved.

Jessica is raising several claims in her Essure lawsuit, including counts of negligence and failure to warn as well as compensation for related medical injuries.

This Essure Lawsuit is Case No. 2:19-cv-00170-GEKP, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania.