Bayer Faces Lawsuits over Complications from its Essure Birth Control Device

In 2002, the FDA approved Bayer’s permanent birth control product known as Essure. This small flexible metal insert was designed to be placed within the fallopian tubes, creating a barrier of scar tissue, permanently blocking sperm from reaching the eggs. This small flexible coil, resembling a small spring, has been sold to over 750,000 women according to Bayer’s medical device page.

While Bayer promised that this product was a safe and effective option for women, the 16 years that followed Essure’s release has told a different story. Finally, on December 31st, 2018, Bayer discontinued the product amidst continued reports that the medical device was causing extreme and adverse complications.

The Misleading Effects of Essure

Essure, as explained on the Bayer website, is a “minimally invasive” procedure that requires no “cutting, leaves no visible scars, and can be performed in your doctor’s office.” Additionally, the hormone free product can be inserted without any general anesthesia, with only a recommended medication to diminish anxiety or discomfort. In some cases, Bayer states, a local anesthetic can be used to “reduce potential discomfort.”

Other selling points that Bayer notes are its short recovery time, boasting a return to normal activity within 1 to 2 days. They claimed that 60% of women were back to normal activates in one day and 75% were back within two days. With the total procedure time, on average, only taking 36 minutes with a 99.3% effective rate of preventing pregnancy.

Like many of the newest and “best” medical devices on the market, the product seemed too good to be true. The promise of a lifetime of birth control without ever having to think about it again with little to no side effects. Despite their promises, the result was not as Bayer led consumers to believe.

The Actual Effects of Essure

Since its release, thousands of women have reported severe side effects. The birth control device has been linked to severe side effects such as:

• chronic back, joint, pelvic and muscle pain
• puncturing of the uterus and/or fallopian tubes
• stomach and pelvic migration (movement)
• abnormal bleeding
• unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, fetal death
• revision surgeries to treat the complications

Along with the continued effects Essure is having on the women who were misled by Bayer, even more attention has been drawn to the product from a recent investigative documentary, The Bleeding Edge, that Netflix produced about the many medical devices that are fast-tracked through the FDA approval process. Choosing Essure as one of its highlighted products, the documentary shows the devastation that is brought to patients when lax regulations, falsified trials and corporate cover-ups put patients at risk every day.

Bayer Removes Essure From Production

Amidst the continuing side effects on patients, and only a week before The Bleeding Edge was scheduled to release, Bayer finally removed the product from the market. While the removal of this device was a positive step, those who have been adversely affected are still dealing with the ramifications of choosing Essure. Thankfully, a number of lawsuits against Bayer have been filed and these patients are fighting back against a medical company that has proven to put profits over the safety of their consumers.

Current lawsuits allege that Bayer hid evidence relating to Essure’s risks in order to obtain FDA approval. We take Bayer’s refusal to prioritize safety seriously and are determined to work for those injured by their products. If you or a loved one have experienced severe injuries from Essure, especially if you have had the device removed or required additional surgeries, you may be entitled to significant compensation without ever going to court. Fill out the intake form on this page for a free review of your case and to find out how we might be able to help.

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