After countless reports of major Essure side effects, Bayer has announced a voluntary Essure birth control recall. The recall was announced on July 20, 2018, and the device will no longer be available in the U.S. after Dec. 31, 2018.

The voluntary Essure birth control recall was, Bayer claims, not in response to the reports of complications over the course of several years, but because of a “decline in U.S. sales of Essure in recent years and the conclusion that the Essure business is no longer sustainable.”

The declining sales were associated, in turn, with “declining interest” in the device—interest which may very well have waned because of the major side effects associated with the device.

However, the pharmaceutical giant maintains that the decline in interest and thus in sales is due to the overall decreased use of permanent birth control methods. On top of this, they also cite “inaccurate and misleading publicity about the device.”

Essure Birth Control Basics

Bayer’s Essure birth control became extremely popular—in fact, the device has been implanted in around 750,000 women so far, since its FDA approval in 2002. Essure was designed as an alternative form of birth control to offer those who want to prevent pregnancy long-term but who may not want to undergo surgical tubal ligation.

The Essure system is made up of two metal coils and a fabric lining which are placed in the fallopian tubes. Implantation of the Essure device is designed to be done in a doctor’s office without invasive surgery.

After this initial procedure, it takes two to three months for the Essure coils to expand in place, allowing the surrounding tissue to grow in around them. This is meant to completely block the fallopian tubes, preventing pregnancy.

According to advertising and marketing from Bayer, Essure is a safe and effective method of permanent birth control. Indeed, Bayer Healthcare has continuously marketed Essure as a safer, simpler, and more effective method of permanent birth control than other options currently available, lawsuits claim.

However, more and more patients claim that they have suffered from significant Essure birth control side effects after implantation with the device.

Essure Complications

Patients have reported suffering from Essure birth control side effects including failure of the implant, device migration, organ perforation, device fracture and ectopic pregnancy.

Some more major Essure birth control side effects may require device removal. Unfortunately, removal surgery can bring with it its own complications. Surgery is further complicated if a patient has suffered from Essure birth control side effects like device fracture or migration,

In 2016, the FDA asked Bayer to conduct a post-market safety study and to add warning labels about the device’s risks. Now, the voluntary Essure birth control recall will mean that the device is no longer available after the end of this year.

Filing an Essure Lawsuit

Essure litigation alleges that Bayer Healthcare failed to adequately warn patients and the medical community about major Essure birth control side effects, and instead chose to actively withhold this valuable information, placing company profit over patient safety.

If you have been affected by Essure birth control complications, the voluntary Essure birth control recall isn’t enough to fix things. You may be able to file an Essure lawsuit. While pursuing litigation cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by side effects of Essure birth control, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.