Legal Help For Injuries After Using A Paragard IUD
Women have always sought effective ways to prevent unplanned pregnancy, preferably without hormones. Paragard, a copper intrauterine device that’s been on the market since the 1980s, seemed to fit the bill for many women.
But as its popularity has grown, so too have the number of reports of Paragard breaking apart inside the uterus. Paragard fragments, as when a Paragard arm breaks or the copper coil comes loose, can cause injury on their own and in most cases need to be removed.
This puts women in the position of needing surgery to remove device fragments – and risking all the complications that go with surgical procedures.
What Is Paragard?
The Paragard IUD is a small, t-shaped plastic device with a copper coil around its stem, and copper bands on each of its two arms. When inserted into the uterus, it is believed that Paragard, like all IUDs, stimulates an immune response that prevents pregnancy. The copper ions that the device sheds are spermicidal, adding another layer of protection.
Paragard’s manufacturer boasts a contraceptive success rate of better than 99%, and the device is supposed to be safe to leave in the uterus for up to 10 years. Copper IUDs are preferred by many women and doctors because they are hormone-free, but use of Paragard, as we will see, is not without risks.
Paragard Has Side Effects
There are a variety of side effects that are considered normal with Paragard, including:
- Heavy periods that may last longer
- Spotting between periods
- Back pain
- Stomach pain
- Cramping
- Anemia
- Pain during sex.
There are also less common, and far more serious side effects, including:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Perforation of the uterus
- Difficulty with removal, including the need for surgery to remove the device.
Is Paragard A Defective Medical Device?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received more than 1,600 complaints about Paragard’s plastic arms breaking in the uterus since 2010. In 2014, the FDA’s adverse event reporting program received a complaint about an incident where both Paragard arms were missing when doctors attempted to remove the IUD after six years and five months.
The dislocated arms had become embedded in the uterine tissue. Again in 2015, the program received a report of an incident where the copper coil that wraps around the stem of the IUD was missing upon removal.
In some cases, women have had to undergo a hysterectomy as a result of Paragard arm breaks, ending any dream of having children in the future. The device fragments have been known to migrate within the body, leading to organ damage and perforation, as well as scarring, inflammation, and infections that can make conception difficult or impossible.
What Can I Do If I’ve Been Injured by Paragard?
If you’ve experienced Paragard arm breaks or other failures, you may be entitled to compensation under Louisiana law.
The Gertler Law Firm is one of Louisiana’s foremost injury practices, and we have helped our clients recover more than $100,000,000 in damage awards and settlements in our more than three decades.
If you’ve been injured by Paragard, or forced into surgeries you didn’t want because of Paragard, call us right away at (504) 581-6411 for a free, no-obligation consultation.