LAKE PARK, Iowa (KTIV) -- -
Many women who are done having kids often look for permanent forms of birth control. while some options require surgery others don't, like Essure.
That's why Sarah Bengford chose it, but now regrets her decision every day. As a mother of three and day care provider to eleven, kids are her life and livelihood.
"We have a blast," says Bengford. "We are crawling through tunnels and doing all kinds of activities."
After the 36 year-old Lake Park, Iowa mother had her daughter, Taylor, she and her husband were done having kids. Sarah researched her options and together they decided on Essure.
"It was problem free, you aren't going to be pregnant, you are going to be quickly fixed, then go back to work, and viola," says Bengford.
Essure is a permanent form of birth control. The Essure implants are small, titanium, spring-like coils. The coils are inserted into the opening of the fallopian tubes, then the body builds up tissue around them to create a barrier.
Bengford had the procedure done about 3 and a half years ago.
"It was the most simple procedure," says Bengford. "I thought it was awesome when I had it done because I went back to work the next day and I was fine."
But everything was not fine.
"Pains here and there, but I never thought anything of it," says Bengford. "I thought 'hey, I'm over 30. I have three kids. That's probably what it is' and then the pains got a lot worse this year."
That's also when Bengford found out the permanent birth control wasn't so permanent.
"I was experiencing symptoms like I was pregnant and if I didn't know any better I would have said I was pregnant," says Bengford.
A trip to the doctor confirmed her pregnancy, but a few days later she miscarried and the pains got worse.
"I would say most of the time it feels like I'm being stabbed in my side," says Bengford.
The pain is so bad it's hard for her to sit up and even sleep.
After doctor visits and even a trip to the emergency room her questions remained unanswered.
"I shouldn't feel like that," says Bengford. "I'm 36 years old, not 80. I should be able to do all this and not be in extreme pain."
So Bengford went looking for answers and now points to her implants as the source of her pain.
Essure has been on the market for about 10 years and the makers, Conceptus, says the birth control is 99.83 percent effective.
"I've seen wonderful results with Essure," says Dr. Christine Sarkinen, an OB/GYN with Oakdale Obstetrics and Gynecology in Minnesota. Dr. Sarkinen says she regularly recommends Essure to her patients.
"It's very safe and very effective," says Sarkinen. "Medical professionals have it done to themselves. That's how great we think it is."
She says she's been using it in her practice for years.
"I'm not really aware of any significant problems with it," says Sarkinen.
But Bengford says she's found hundreds of women experiencing similar problems.
"I found women who had babies and they still had the coils in or women who had been pregnant and miscarried like did and I thought oh my gosh. This is so crazy," says Bengford.
Many have shared their painful stories with her and now she, too, is sharing hers.
"I'm not going to be shy about the problems with it because what it's done to me, what it's done to my family, and all these other families that are depending on me to care for their children," says Bengford. "I don't want that for anyone else."
Bengford is having surgery on November 13th where doctors will likely remove her left ovary. She is hoping then she can get back to normal.
In response to KTIV's story about Sarah Bengford, the makers of Essure, Conceptus, gave this statement.
"The Essure procedure has been FDA-approved and available in the U.S. since 2002 and approximately 690,000 women worldwide have undergone the procedure. When performed properly and all protocols are followed, including a three-month confirmation test, Essure is 99.83% effective based on five years of follow up with zero pregnancies reported in clinical trials. And Essure's 10-year commercial data tracks closely with its five-year clinical results. While no form of birth control should be considered 100% effective, Essure is the most effective method of permanent birth control available based on a comparison of five-years of clinical data - making it even more effective than tubal ligation and vasectomy. All medical procedures do have risks and the most common side effects reported with Essure are mild discomfort or cramping similar to a woman's normal monthly cycle."
"The Essure procedure is the only surgery-free and hormone-free permanent birth control method that can be performed in the comfort of a physician's office in less than 10 minutes (average hysteroscopic time) without the risks associated with general anesthesia or tubal ligation. Soft, flexible inserts are placed in a woman's fallopian tubes through the cervix without incisions. Over the next three months, the body works with the inserts to form a natural barrier in the fallopian tubes to prevent sperm from reaching the egg. Three months after the Essure procedure, an Essure Confirmation Test is given to confirm that the inserts are in place and that the fallopian tubes are blocked, verifying that the patient can rely on Essure for permanent birth control."
Sarah Bengford says her Essure implants have caused countless problems for her.
