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Women left in pain after bad reactions to material of coil implant

A number of women have been left in pain after being fitted with a sterilisation implant used on the NHS.

The coil implant, made of nickel and polyester fibres, is used to permanently sterilise women by stopping the eggs reaching the womb, but can cause side effects and complications.

Some women who were fitted with the device said they were not informed about the risks of the implantation which should be common practice before any surgical procedure.

The nickel and plastic material of the implant which causes scar tissue to build up to block the fallopian tubes can cause a bad reaction in some women.

Women have experienced perforation of one of the fallopian tubes causing the device to embed itself elsewhere in the body.

However, manufacturers of Essure say the implant is safe and the benefits outweigh the risks but the sale of the device was suspended this month.

As the device attaches to the fallopian tubes, they must be removed in order for the implant to be taken out. This sometimes results in a hysterectomy as the uterus can also often be removed as well.

Gill Edwards, senior clinical negligence solicitor at Potter Rees Dolan, said:

It is a great shame for the women injured by this procedure who, having made the brave decision to undergo sterilisation, have now been left in terrible pain and in some cases needing major abdominal surgery when they should be enjoying life with their families.

There are various alternative sterilisation procedures available to men and women besides the Essure implant, and it is vital that we are given all of the facts about the risks and benefits of each before we give our consent.

Although many women have complained of pain and feeling unwell, the medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency has been criticised for not responding to the evidence against the device.

The risks of any surgical procedure should always be made clear to the patient no matter how complicated the surgery will be. If you or a family member have experienced negligence during a surgical procedure then have a read of our dedicated surgical clinical negligence page and get in touch.

Gill Edwards is a senior clinical negligence solicitor with Potter Rees Dolan. Should you have any queries about clinical negligence issues and wish to speak with Gill or any other member of the team please contact us on 0161 237 5888.

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