ESSURE LAWSUIT WHITEPAPER

About Essure Lawsuit

Essure is a permanently implanted birth control device used by women introduced in 2002. After multiple years of use, it was discovered that Essure was inducing pain and problems in several women.

From January 2017 through December 2018, there were 11,854 medical device reports related to Essure in 2017 and 6,000 reports in 2018. Of those reports, eighty-five percent (85%) referenced an instance in which the device was removed from a patient (referred to as “device removal reports” from hereafter).

• Eighty percent (80%) of the device removal reports cite litigation.
• The top six reported reasons in the device removal reports were:
  • Pain: 60 percent (60%),
  • Genital hemorrhage: 14 percent (14%),
  • Device dislocation/migration/expulsion: 12 percent (12%),
  • Perforation: 11 percent (11%),
  • Suspected allergy to metals: 4 percent (4%), and
  • Device breakage: 3 percent (3%).

In December 2018, Bayer stopped selling and distributing the Essure device in the United States. However, the product was not recalled.

In January 2020, an Indiana court ruled in favor of 30 women who are proceeding to sue Bayer for their Essure birth control device.

Essure Associated Injuries

Some associated risks and injuries reported from using Essure include:

• Mild to moderate pain during and immediately following the Essure placement procedure.
• Cramping, vaginal bleeding, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lightheadedness, pelvic or back discomfort immediately after the procedure.
• Abdominal, pelvic, or back pain
• Tear or hole (perforation) of the uterus or fallopian tubes
• Unintended pregnancy
• Allergy or hypersensitivity reactions
• Essure inserts unexpectedly moved to the abdominal or pelvic cavity
• If a patient and health care provider decides to remove Essure, another surgery may be required.
• Headache
• Feeling tired (fatigue)
• Weight changes
• Hair loss
• Mood changes, including depression

Essure Status of Litigation

Currently, there is no MDL established at this time for Essure lawsuits in the federal court system. There have been no verdicts. In August 2020, Bayer announced it will pay $1.6B to settle about 90% of the claims against its Essure device. 

Essure Manufacturer

Bayer AG is a German company that manufactured and sold the Essure birth control device in the United States from 2002-2018.