A study published in British Medical Journal in the fall of 2015 has confirmed some concerns that have been shared for more than a decade by women who had the Essure birth control device implanted for permanent sterilization.

The study looked at 44,278 women who had permanent female sterilization from a traditional laparoscopic sterilization (also known as a laparaoscopic tubal ligation) and 8,408 women who had the Essure birth control device implanted.

The study concluded that women who used Essure birth control had “more than a 10-fold higher risk of undergoing reoperation compared with patients undergoing laparoscopic sterilization.”

One of the draws for women to have Essure birth control instead of laparoscopic sterilization is that the procedure does not require hospitalization.

Art S., one of the researchers who conducted the study, told NBC News that “Essure helped them avoid surgery in some instances, but they are still facing a 10 fold high risk of getting that surgery done.”

He continued, “and that translates to one in 49 or 50 women getting this surgery again.  And that surgery is likely to be much more complicated than the laparoscopic approach that they should be considering.”

How Does Essure Birth Control Work?

Essure is a medical device that is implanted through a woman’s vagina and inserted into the fallopian tubes. The device itself consists of metal coils and polyethylene fibers and is inserted by a physician during an outpatient procedure.

Over time, the woman’s body begins to grow tissue to surround the implanted device in the fallopian tubes and seals off the fallopian tubes, creating a physical barrier to prevent a man’s sperm from fertilizing the eggs, preventing pregnancy.

After the procedure, the patient returns to her doctor who then performs a “confirmation test” to make sure the implant is correctly placed and that the implant has created a total barrier to prevent fertilization.

According to studies, Essure birth control did prevent pregnancy at about the same rate as laparoscopic sterilization, so the device itself appears to be effective, however, the risk for complications is suspected to be much greater.

Essure Complications

A number of side effects and complications have been reported following the use of Essure birth control.  These include:

• Bleeding abnormalities
• Pain in the abdominal area
• Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting
• Bloating and cramping
• Heavier bleeding during periods
• Device migration
• Migraines and headaches
• Perforation of internal organs caused by device
• Pain in the arm, leg and back
• Pain during intercourse
• Vaginal infection and discharge
• Nausea and vomiting

The recent BMJ study also showed that women were also more likely to have pelvic inflammatory disease as a complication resulting from the Essure implant.

Simply removing the Essure device after complications are noted is not possible, and to correct the problem, women will most likely need to undergo a complete hysterectomy which comes with its own set of issues.

FDA and the Safety of Essure

The FDA is conducting further investigations into the safety of Essure, with many more women coming forth to file adverse events reports over the device.  The FDA has had ongoing meetings and plans to present the result of its investigation at the end of February.

Sedrakyan said the he hopes women will understand that the procedure is not a low-risk one and that they should not make the decision to get the birth control implant likely.

“I hope that they will weigh the risks and harms in our study, talk to their clinicians about their specific conditions,” he said.  I also encourage them to get tested, and insist on getting tested for metal allergies and nickel allergies and that is not done routinely right now and that could be important.”

Filing an Essure Birth Control Lawsuit

If you have experienced complications as a result of having the Essure birth control device implanted, you may be able to receive legal compensation.  An Essure attorney can review your case at no charge and can assist you in understanding the legal options that are available to you.