Essure is a non surgical birth control device made of two nickel titanium coils that are inserted into the fallopian tubes to spur the growth of scar tissue that eventually blocks the tubes to prevent pregnancy. This popular device was approved in 2002 by the FDA for the healthcare company Bayer to sell and promote.
It is estimated that 750,000 patients worldwide have used this device. Unfortunately, many medical issues have been brought to surface regarding the implantation of Essure. Many of the symptoms include perforation of the uterus and fallopian tubes, personal pain, coils migrating into the pelvis or abdomen, headaches, mood swings, hair loss, weight gain, bleeding, bloating and a variety of other issues.
Due to these reported issues, the FDA added a serious warning to this device and made Bayer conduct a 2,000 patient safety study with Essure patients. In May of 2018, the FDA also said doctors must show patients a checklist of potential health issues before agreeing to this procedure.
Essure sales will be halted by December 2018 but the procedure can be conducted throughout 2019 with all unused items to be returned by healthcare providers by the end of next year. Bayer still stands by the safety of their product and claims that sales will be halted only due to a decline in sales. Currently the German based company is facing approximately 16,000 lawsuits associated with Essure and many more are expected.