Many women of childbearing age would like a permanent form of birth control. Until recently, the only option for permanent birth control for women was tubal ligation. Essure, a non-surgical form of birth control, has been a more recent option for younger women seeking to permanently stop conception.

However, Essure birth control injuries have been of concern as more and more women have reported serious side effects and have, in reaction, filed lawsuits against the medical device manufacturer.

What is Essure?

The Essure device, manufactured by Bayer HealthCare, has been touted as the only form of permanent birth control for women that is also non-surgical. Tubal ligation also effectively sterilizes a woman, however it requires surgery.

In 2002, Essure was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through a fast-track approval system. The Essure device is actually two, small metal coils. These flexible metal coils are implanted into the each of the fallopian tubes of the patient. Over a short period of time (usually up to three months) scar tissue grows over and around the Essure coils.

After this phase, the patient goes in for a checkup with her doctor to determine if the fallopian tube have been blocked completely. If so, she cannot conceive.

What would seem like a simple procedure has actually led to many Essure birth control injuries in many different patients around the world.

Essure Birth Control Injuries

There are many Essure birth control injuries that women have reported as a result of being implanted with the Essure permanent birth control device.

These include seemingly minor Essure birth control injuries such as bloating, vomiting, dizziness pelvic pain, rashes, fainting, cramping, painful intercourse, headaches and allergic reactions.

These Essure birth control injuries also include severe complications such as device migration, organ perforation, excessive bleeding, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and even death.

Some women who have experienced these extreme Essure birth control injuries have experienced the death of a fetus, and at least four adult women have died from Essure birth control injuries such as infection, uterine perforation and air embolism.

One estimate suggests that over 300 fetuses have died as a result of Essure birth control injuries. These 300 fetus deaths are included in over 10,000 adverse event reports associated with Bayer’s Essure device.

In fact, because of a study that Essure’s original manufacturer, Conceptus conducted, it has been estimated that many women undergo extreme Essure birth control injuries. The study found that 15% of the women followed needed a hysterectomy and almost 40% of the women experienced unusually heavy periods.

Additionally, 5% had recurrent pelvic pain and 4% had painful intercourse.

Even so, some women have complained that the data in this Conceptus study was falsified, downplaying certain Essure birth control injuries. They have said that pain they reported was not included in the study.

If you or someone you love has been implanted with the Essure device and have suffered from Essure birth control injuries, you may be eligible for legal compensation. Contacting an Essure birth control injuries attorney may help you decide what the best legal path is for you or your loved one.