The Bleeding Edge documentary is already making a splash, and we haven’t even seen it yet. In response to its imminent release and petitioning from Ashes, a patient activist group featured in the film, Bayer pulled their birth control device Essure from U.S. markets.
The move is "a gratifying affirmation of the power of documentary," Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick & Amy Ziering said of the explosive piece said in a statement released by Netflix. The Bleeding Edge documentary takes a seering look at the world of medical devices and how the companies that produce them tend to put profits ahead of their patients. "This is exactly why we do this work: This film has already changed policies and changed history,” they added.
Though that’s a feather in the cap of filmmakers, the battle over Essure is far from over. Ashes is still focused on spreading the word about the birth control device, which has been implanted in over 750,000 women in the U.S.
But The Bleeding Edge documentary doesn’t just look at Essure, though it is a central focus on the film. It follows a total of five people who suffered dangerous, and in some cases life-threatening, complications of these loosely-regulated medical devices. The film touches on hip implants, transvaginal mesh and, of course, the Essure birth control device. Three of the five patients featured in The Bleeding Edge experienced complications due to having Essure implanted.
Just make sure to brace yourselves for what you’re about to see. In some cases, having the device implanted and the complications it caused pale in comparison to what the patient had to go through to get the device removed.
Watch The Bleeding Edge trailer
To see what The Bleeding Edge documentary has in store for you, watch the trailer below:
When will The Bleeding Edge Documentary be on Netflix?
So when can you hit play on the “gripping exposé of the crazily under-regulated, shadowy medical device industry”? Netflix is releasing The Bleeding Edge documentary in theaters and on their streaming service platform on Friday, July 27.
