Women around the world suffer from Essure problems they never anticipated.

Bayer Healthcare markets Essure as a convenient, safe, permanent, non-surgical form of birth control. Because it is hormone-free and works by provoking the body to create scar tissue, Essure has been touted as a product that creates a “natural” barrier. However, many women now report Essure problems. 

Essure consists of two small stainless steel coils that are coated with a nickel alloy material. These tiny coils are then coated with PET plastic fibers in the shape of small spikes. The Essure coils are inserted into the fallopian tubes where the body produces a fibrotic reaction (scar tissue) to the foreign material. The goal is for the fallopian tubes to produce an adequate amount of scar tissue to block the egg from any sperm.

Since the FDA approved Essure in 2002, Essure problems have plagued thousands of women.

Multiple Essure Problems Abound

Many women chose the Essure permanent birth control method because they were done having children, and led busy lives with the children they had. Having a simple outpatient procedure with no downtime sounded like a wonderful alternative to the recovery associated with getting their tubes tied.

Unfortunately, thousands of women have reported Essure problems such as debilitating joint pain, heavy periods, headaches, rashes, fatigue, cramping and painful intercourse. There are also more than 300 reports of women suffering ectopic pregnancies.

Some of the Essure problems stem from patients exhibiting an allergic reaction to nickel.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between 10 and 20 percent of the population is allergic to nickel.

One woman who says she is so allergic to nickel that she can wear her wedding ring only a couple of days at a time said she was never asked about a nickel allergy prior to receiving Essure. She lost five teeth, patches of hair, and endured heavy periods accompanied by debilitating cramps after she was implanted with Essure. She also felt as though no matter how much she slept, she was still perpetually tired. She attributes her ills to the nickel coating on the Essure coils.

The permanent placement of these pieces of metal can pose a problem in women who don’t have nickel allergies. Over time, metals can degrade and release high levels of nickel ions, which can cause metal poisoning.

Other Essure problems that women have experienced include the coils perforating the fallopian tubes or migrating to other parts of the body. When implanted, the Essure coils are inserted through the vagina and the doctor places them in the fallopian tubes without being able to actually see where the coils are resting. Coils that placed correctly might still cause extensive pain and need to be removed surgically.

The plastic fibers coating the coils are made of PET plastic, which has been proven to degrade at temperatures of 85 degrees or more. The human body is generally at 98.6 degrees, which allegedly can cause the PET toxins to be released after implantation. Chronic inflammation and potential autoimmune responses are Essure problems that could stem from the plastic degradation.

In general, Essure lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions. After you fill out the form, the attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Essure class action lawsuit is best for you.