Many women face a major life decision when deciding whether they would like to seek permanent birth control. If they have decided whether permanent sterilization is the way to go, their next major decision would be to figure out whether Essure vs tubal ligation would be the best choice for them.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in American women between the ages of 35 to 44, nearly one in three women have used a method of sterilization between 2011 and 2013.

While women have chosen to undergo tubal ligation, a surgery that ties or cuts a woman’s fallopian tubes (or “having your tubes tied”), many women have chosen Essure as an alternative, as it is a non-surgical form of birth control.

However, through the Essure vs tubal ligation debate, Essure, manufactured by Bayer HealthCare, has caused thousands of women to suffer from serious complications and injuries. Some serious side effects have included rashes, allergic reactions, pelvic pain, organ perforation, excessive bleeding, ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.

Essure vs Tubal Ligation

One of the major differences between Essure vs tubal ligation is that while tubal ligation requires surgery, Essure does not. During an Essure procedure, a small insert is placed in through a woman’s vagina, cervix, and uterus, and into each fallopian tube. It is a non-hormonal, permanent form of birth control.

The inserts are two flexible coils composed of polyester and metal. Once they are inserted and placed into each fallopian tube during the Essure procedure, the coil implants trigger scar tissue to form around them over the course of a couple months.

This prevents conception from occurring as the scar tissue permanently blocks the fallopian tubes. About three months after the procedure, women are evaluated by their physicians to confirm that the procedure worked and they are no longer able to get pregnant.

The Essure procedure normally takes between 10-30 minutes, and is typically performed in a physician’s office without the need for overnight stay or anesthesia. The Essure procedure also does not require any incisions.

Essure Side Effects & Complications

The Essure birth control procedure was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002. However, since its approval, there have been thousands of adverse event reports filed with the FDA regarding Essure side effects.

According to a CNN report, in 2015, more than 5,000 women reported several side effects to the FDA related to Essure. Some of these side effects included “unintended pregnancies, stillbirths, debilitating pain, bleeding and perforation of their fallopian tubes, among other complications.”

Thousands of women complain that Essure complications are the result of the FDA fast tracking the approval of Essure without adequately reviewing the risks associated with the device.

The lawsuits filed against the drug manufacturer accuse them of misleading women about the safety of the permanent birth control device. Plaintiffs filing Essure lawsuits also allege that the approval of Essure was based on questionable studies, and the device should have never been approved to begin with without further study.