When women choose to undergo an Essure permanent birth control procedure, they likely do so in full faith that it will result in a safe and effective means of preventing pregnancy.

What they might not have known is that procedures involving this permanent birth control have reportedly caused a host of Essure problems in thousands of women ranging from chronic pelvic pain to organ perforation.

What is Essure?

Essure is a hysteroscopic sterilization procedure, a type of tubal sterilization that does not require an incision. If a woman undergoes the Essure birth control procedure, a soft metal spring-like device wound with synthetic fibers is implanted in her fallopian tubes.

The metal part of the device consists of a stainless steel inner coil and an expanding nickel titanium outer coil. The fibers are used to encourage the surrounding tissue to adhere to the device, ultimately creating a barrier of scar tissue intended to block sperm from reaching the eggs.

Essure Problems

Women nationwide say the birth control device has caused a spectrum of Essure complications, and they are campaigning for a ban. Through social media, they caution potential customers against the device – “Don’t do it! You’ll be sorry!”

Facebook pages titled “Essure Problems” and “E-Sisters” are focusing on getting the FDA to reconsider the birth control device and to find researchers who will study their Essure complaints.

Many of these women are now are speaking out publicly via orchestrated social media campaigns against the permanent birth control device by sharing the many Essure complications they have experienced:

• Additional surgeries, including hysterectomy to remove the device and repair internal organs
• Autoimmune response to the device, including fatigue, rashes, hair loss and weight gain
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Life-threatening ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage
• Migration of the device or a device component (in some cases, the device may even ‘disappear’ in the body, becoming undetectable even through standard scanning)
• Expulsion of the device
• Organ perforation or tear, including uterus or colon
• Severe migraines and allergic reactions to the device or device components

Essure Complaints

From the time the Food and Drug Administration approved Essure in 2002 to May 31, 2015, the FDA has collected over 4,000 adverse event reports. These Essure problems include organ perforation, device migration out of the fallopian tubes, and pelvic pain.

Prompted by the multitude of Essure complaints and a petition filed on behalf of hundreds of victims who suffered adverse Essure problems, the Food and Drug Administration opened an investigation into the permanent birth control device.

The FDA is investigating allegations that Bayer, the manufacturer of Essure:

• Used fradulent clinical trial data
• Failed to report adverse events
• Deceived the public and the FDA about the safety and efficacy of Essure
• Used defective materials in manufacturing

On Sept. 24, 2015, the FDA held a public meeting of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel “to discuss the risks and benefits of Bayer HealthCare’s Essure System for permanent female sterilization.”

The panel heard from medical experts as well as from women who have been implanted with the device.

Indeed, there are thousands of women begging the FDA to pull Essure off the market. Their pages on Facebook post pictures and share nightmare stories about their Essure problems, such as Essure coils that have migrated, perforating internal organs in other areas of their bodies. They call it E-hell.

Several hundred of them have also gotten pregnant after Essure implantation, with E-babies, as they call them. Even famed activist Erin Brockovich has provided a voice for women experiencing Essure problems, stating “So we have a device that’s intended to be permanent birth control, but women are getting pregnant on it.”

If you, or a loved one, had Essure coils implanted and suffered adverse side effects, you may be entitled to compensatory damages.