I had Essure placed in September 2011. I was never told about the risk of nickel sensitivity and it was sold as a convenient, pain free device, with minimal down time. The only negative thing I heard was that it was not reversible. During my procedure, there was difficulty in placing my left coil and immediately following I began to experience more frequent nausea than normal along with lower back pain. My hypothyroidism also worsened and a dose that had worked for several years had to be increased. When I ovulated or had my period I was in so much pain that I ended up requesting narcotics from my doctor. There is nothing like needing to take Percocet for menstrual pain.
In May 2012 I was hospitalized for Colitis. I was on morphine for a week. One day my doctor overheard me explaining to my son why I was sick and where the “bad bug” was hurting me. He ordered a pelvic ultrasound and found what was thought to be an ovarian cyst. I followed up with my OB who requested another ultrasound to confirm the size of the cyst. The second ultrasound showed that I did not have a cyst at all and instead had a hydrosalpinx. A hydrosalpinx is a fluid filled fallopian tube. She showed me how easily it could have been misdiagnosed by a technician not trained to look for abnormalities within the fallopian tubes. My OB and I decided that surgery would be my best option to remove the portion of my fallopian tube that was filled with fluid. That surgery was performed August 13, 2012. After the surgery my pain did not decrease and in fact became much worse. A month later my OB left the practice and I was assigned a new doctor who took my claims seriously. She explained that the Essure device was not removed from my fallopian tube during my previous surgery and that only the problem portion of the tube had been actually been taken out. I told her that I felt that Essure was contributing to my problems and that I wanted it out so that I could finally be pain free. She explained the necessity of a hysterectomy and we went over the risks and benefits.
On November 14, 2012 I underwent a partial hysterectomy and while my doctor was looking she discovered many other problems. My right fallopian tube was covered in cysts and severely inflamed. There were also many other issues going on inside of me which she was able to correct. She determined that all my symptoms were a direct result of Essure and agreed to file a report with the FDA on my behalf. I was diagnosed with Adenomyosis and my left ovary had become fused to my bladder. She was unsuccessful at saving that ovary and on January 16, 2013 she performed another surgery to remove it. When she went in during my third surgery she discovered that once again my ovary had fused to my bladder, intestine, and abdominal wall. For the first time since having Essure I am FINALLY pain free. I have since contacted Conceptus and they told me that I clearly was having an allergic reaction to the nickel and that there was nothing they could or were willing to do for me. It was the implanting doctor’s responsibility to inform me that the product contained nickel and I never should have undergone the procedure due to my hypersensitivity to it. Just before my hysterectomy I found a Facebook group called Essure Problems. They have been a tremendous help in my journey and have shown me that I am not alone. I hope that we can one day change the Pre-Market Approval (PMA) laws so that other women like me can finally find justice for what has happened to us.