Essure is a permanent form of birth control that was approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002. The device’s goal is to prevent semen from reaching the eggs in the fallopian tubes by forming a barrier from scar tissue that grows around the coil-like device. Essure Side Effects. Essure was designed for the purposes of creating a non-surgical alternative to other permanent sterilization techniques such as tubal ligation (“tube tying”).
The problem, however, is that there has been an alarming rate of complications that have been reported as a result of the implantation of this sterilization device. The FDA has received close 10,000 complaints from doctors and women reporting serious side effects. Of those reports there the following side effects have been reported:
- Over ten deaths,
- Reports of organ perforation,
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Fetal death (as a result of pregnancies that occurred despite the implantation of the device in order to prevent such pregnancies),
- The onset of autoimmune responses such as fatigue, hair loss, and rapid weight gain
- Migraines and allergic reactions
As a result of these serious, and sometimes deadly, side effects, the FDA placed its most serious labeling requirements on Essure product boxes by requiring them to include a black warning label that indicates the product could cause death or serious injury. Additionally, Essure’s manufacturer, Bayer, has announced that it will completely halt all sales of Essure by the end of 2018.
Women across the nation are now suing the manufactures of the device in products liability actions seeking damages for the costs of medical care to treat symptoms and complications of the device’s malfunction, along with related expenses. In addition to those medical costs, women are also seeking non-economic damages related to pain and suffering, including mental and emotional anguish, as well as punitive damages to punish Bayer for developing, manufacturing, and promoting an unsafe medical device.
Contact an Essure Attorney
If you or a loved one underwent the Essure permanent birth control procedure and experienced one or more of these side effects, contact the experienced and serious personal injury attorneys at ‘’MAGGIO Law.