Patients put their trust into their doctors and medical companies when they are in need of advice, treatment, or preventative care related to their health, and such trust is reasonable. After all, a typical patient is not aware of all the medical issues that may be surrounding any condition and therefore seeks out the advice of an expert – someone who has been trained in the matter and who can opine as to the safety and efficacy of any device or procedure.
Many women have sought such advice when they were in need of contraception and chose to use an intrauterine device, commonly called an IUD, in response. Unfortunately, after those IUDs were placed, some women experienced severe and even life-threatening complications stemming from the device itself and many have been left with permanent harm.
One of the main IUDs associated with negative health consequences is Mirena, a device that was heavily marketed to women in recent years. Advertisements blanketed television channels and Bayer, the manufacturer of Mirena, even marketed the product directly to women through “Mirena Parties.” Though marketing a product itself may not be an issue, the Food and Drug Administration alleged that these marketing practices were misleading and that they failed to warn women of serious side effects associated with the device.
As a result, it is believed that many women opted to use an IUD like Mirena without having all the information that they were entitled to possess. As time passed, some of these women began experiencing side effects that they did not know were possible and some suffered a great deal in response.
Approximately 2 out of every 1,000 women who used Mirena reported incidents of uterine perforation, a process where the IUD broke through the uterine wall and could potentially travel to other areas of the body. Common complications from uterine perforation include damage to internal organs, intestinal obstruction or blockage, adhesions, scarring, and infection. Other women who used the device experienced embedding of the IUD where the device became trapped within the uterine wall, needing to be surgically removed. And yet other women found that Mirena led to pelvic inflammatory disease, peritonitis, and infertility.
If you used an IUD, including Mirena, and you suffered consequences as a result, make sure you understand whether you are entitled to financial payment for your damages. Your claim may enable you to recover for your pain and suffering, medical expenses, and any permanent harm done to you as a result of your use of the device but you must bring your claim within a time period specified by law for it to be valid.
If you have questions, know the personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. are standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call regarding Mirena IUD injuries. We can be reached toll free at (855) PHX-LAWYER or locally at (602) 819-5191 where you will be offered a free, no-obligation case consultation from one of our injury lawyers.
At Abels & Annes, P.C., we believe in fighting for those who have been hurt through no fault of their own and we are standing by to fight for you as well. Call us today and let us get to work on your case so that you can get the relief you need and that you deserve for your injuries.
Prior Blog Entry:
Medication and Prescription Drug Errors in Phoenix, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published September 14, 2015.