Women who have opted for non-surgical permanent sterilization from a device known as Essure have gotten more than they have bargained for in some cases. In fact, tens of thousands of women have reported that they have suffered from injuries caused by Essure.

What is Essure?

Essure is the only non-surgical permanent sterilization method that is available to women. Instead of undergoing traditional surgery to prevent pregnancy permanently, women have the option to have the Essure device implanted so they can achieve permanent sterilization after simply having an in-office appointment with a physician and little to no recovery time following the procedure.

The Essure device itself is made of two metal coils that are implanted within the fallopian tube of the woman. This is done in an outpatient procedure typically with a woman’s obstetrician/gynecologist.

The physician uses a device that is inserted into the woman’s vagina and allows the coils to be placed into the woman’s fallopian tubes. After the coils are placed, the body mounts an inflammatory reaction which causes scar tissue to build around the fallopian tubes. In approximately three months, enough scar tissue builds up so that the fallopian tubes are completely blocked.

Due to the blockage of the fallopian tube, when a woman releases and egg during ovulation, it cannot travel past the blockage caused by the issuer coil and can thus not join with sperm in order to promote fertilization of the egg and allow a woman to become pregnant.

When women found out that they had an alternative to surgery which would allow them to permanently become sterilized, many jumped at the chance of avoiding surgery by opting for the simple procedure.

Injuries Caused by Essure

Unfortunately, along with its ease-of-use, Essure problems have surfaced for tens of thousands of women. A number of complications have been reported and include:

• Heavy bleeding
• Severe pain
• Autoimmune disorders
• Unintended pregnancy
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Painful intercourse
• Fetal death
• Severe headache and migraine
• Hormonal disruption

Some women have had such severe injuries caused by Essure that they have opted to have the device removed, even though it was intended to be permanently placed. Many women have had to have partial to full hysterectomies at an early age in order to remove the permanent birth control device.

Having a hysterectomy at a young age causes premature menopause, which brings on a whole other set of problems for women, including increased risks of certain types of cancers.

Additionally, many physicians will not perform and he sure removal procedure because it is very risky. Women may have a hard time finding a doctor to support her in the removal of the permanent birth control device, as there are only a handful across the nation that have been known to provide the surgical procedure necessary to remove the device.

Many reports have been made to the FDA regarding injuries caused by Essure. Over the last year, the federal agency has recommended that further research into the birth control device be conducted. Despite all of the problems that were noted by women, the FDA decided to leave the product on the market until further evidence could be examined.