The Risks and Benefits of Essure Removal: What to Consider

Essure is permanent birth control that is 99.3% effective. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Essure in 2002. However, Bayer, the company that bought Essure in 2013, stopped selling the device in 2018, allegedly due to a decline in sales. However, in 2020, Bayer said it would pay $1.6 billion to settle almost 39,000 Essure claims where women alleged they suffered serious injuries related to the device.

Because of the number of lawsuits filed, the FDA limited doctors from selling the device unless the doctor or hospital informed women of the risks of using the device. Finally, Bayer discontinued the device at the end of 2018.

What Is Essure?

Essure is a flexible metal coil that is inserted into the fallopian tubes. It doesn’t require surgery or electricity to burn the fallopian tubes. The coils are inserted through the vagina, cervix, and uterus.

The coils cause scar tissue to form in your fallopian tubes. The scar tissue blocks sperm from reaching your eggs. Since the implants didn’t have hormones, women would still get their period. It takes about three months for the scar tissue to build up enough to prevent pregnancy.

Essure Removal

Doctors can remove Essure by cutting a small hole in the fallopian tubes to remove the coils, or they can remove the entire fallopian tube. Complications of removing Essure by cutting a small hole include doctor inexperience, as this is not a preferred method of removal because of broken Essure coils and the possibility of Essure fragments remaining in the body.

You can also have a complete hysterectomy, which significantly minimizes the risk of leaving unseen pieces of broken coil in your body.

You can also choose to have uterine-preserving surgery, especially if you plan on having children later. Doctors disconnect the fallopian tubes, remove Essure, and reconnect the tubes. The risks of this procedure include difficulty getting pregnant, development of scar tissue in the fallopian tubes, injury to nearby organs, and a 4–8% chance of having an ectopic pregnancy.

The benefit of removing Essure is that if it is causing you pain, it will no longer be painful as long as the coils don’t break and remain inside your body.

Where to Find Essure Removal in Kettering, OH

Huey & Weprin, OB/GYN, serves Kettering, Englewood, and the surrounding areas in Ohio. To find out more about Essure removal, speak with a gynecologist at Huey & Weprin, OB/GYN. To arrange a consultation, please call 937-771-5100.