With scores of Essure birth control lawsuits being filed over reported complications, it’s worth having an idea of what side effects patients can expect.

What Is Essure Birth Control?

Essure was designed to offer women seeking permanent sterilization an alternative to surgical tubal ligation.

The Essure birth control system consists of two implants, one for each fallopian tube. Each implant consists of a pair of flexible metal coils with a fabric lining.

These implants were designed to be placed in the fallopian tubes in an outpatient procedure in a doctor’s office with no incision and no anesthesia. Once in place, they stimulate the growth of new tissue that eventually should occlude the fallopian tubes and prevent pregnancy.

So far about 750,000 women have been implanted with Essure birth control. Bayer, Essure’s manufacturer, continues to claim that Essure is a safe and effective form of permanent birth control.

Essure Side Effects

Yet since Essure was FDA-approved in 2002, thousands of women have reported side effects with Essure that greatly exceeded the severity of what they thought they could expect. To date, the FDA has received over 5,000 reports of adverse events associated with Essure.

These Essure side effects can range from minor nuisances to potentially life-threatening complications that necessitate surgical removal of the implants.

Some of the side effects reported in conjunction with Essure birth control include:

• abdominal pain
• headache
• dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting
• back pain
• pain in the arms and legs
• vomiting
• bloating
• cramps
• vaginal infection and discharge
• abnormal menstruation
• fatigue
• fluctuations in body weight
• pain during sex
• autoimmune complications

In some cases, side effects like these may be related to physical failure of the Essure implants. Cases have been reported in which Essure implants migrated out of their proper position.

Some implants perforated the fallopian tubes or nearby organs. Instances of neurological damage have also been reported. In other cases, Essure implants have fractured after implantation.

Removal of Essure may not be easy, especially in cases of fracture or device migration. Without complications, a surgeon may be able to extract just the implants and any resulting scar tissue. But when the fallopian tubes or uterus have been significantly damaged, a complete hysterectomy may be necessary.

Litigation Over Essure

Many women who suffered side effects like these after receiving Essure implants feel they were not warned about the true associated risks before they chose to use Essure. Some have since become the plaintiffs in Essure lawsuits, claiming Bayer failed to issue a proper warning about the risks of side effects.

These women face a legal hurdle in the form of preemption. Federal law governing the testing and approval of devices like Essure can preempt state laws that would otherwise allow plaintiffs to recover damages for faulty design or manufacture.

But preemption is not absolute. That’s why it’s best for a would-be plaintiff to seek the help of a knowledgeable Essure attorney, to get a good idea of all her legal options and what bringing an Essure lawsuit will entail.