Surgical mesh is a medical device doctors permanently implant within the body to strengthen weak or damaged tissue. In women with Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) or Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI), a doctor may have chosen a procedure in which they position the surgical mesh through the vagina, called transvaginal mesh.
If you are a woman experiencing pain, infection, bleeding, mesh erosion or other transvaginal mesh side effects after surgery for a condition such as Pelvic Organ Prolapse or Stress Urinary Incontinence, our lawyers want to speak with you today. You may have cause to take part in a transvaginal mesh side effects lawsuit. Please fill out our contact form to request a free legal consultation with our lawyers to determine your rights.
Transvaginal Mesh Side Effects
Thousands of women across the United States may have a reason to file a transvaginal mesh side effects lawsuit because their injury could have been avoided. There are known treatment options for Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Stress Urinary Incontinence that are equally effective and do not carry the same risks of injury.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first issued a warning to doctors about transvaginal mesh in 2008 after receiving more than 1000 reports of complications with the surgical mesh, including:
- Pain
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Erosion resulting in exposure or protrusion of the surgical mesh through the tissue
- Recurrence of organ prolapse and/or incontinence
- Bowel, bladder, blood vessel or other organ perforation by surgical tools during placement of surgical mesh
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Neuromuscular problems
- Vaginal scarring/shrinkage
- Emotional problems
The FDA found that some women who underwent this procedure endured a significant decrease in quality of life due to discomfort and pain. Women with complications needed additional medical care, such as blood transfusions, drainage of hematomas or abscesses, medications or additional surgeries to remove the surgical mesh.
The agency recommended that doctors obtain specialized training in transvaginal mesh placement to prevent doctor errors that may occur during mesh placement, be vigilant in their watch for signs of complications from the procedure and that they should adequately inform patients of serious transvaginal mesh side effects.
Since the FDA’s warning, use of transvaginal mesh for treatment of Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Stress Urinary Incontinence has increased, and so has the number of women suffering complications.
Between January 2008 and December 2010, the FDA received 2,874 new reports of serious transvaginal mesh side effects in women treated for Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Stress Urinary Incontinence, including three women who died.
Review of these reports showed a previously unreported transvaginal mesh side effect:
- Mesh contraction, a shrinkage of the mesh that can cause extreme pain
In July 2011, after analyzing these reports in addition to evaluating peer-reviewed scientific literature, the FDA found that women who underwent a transvaginal mesh procedure suffered a risk of potentially life altering side effects when other, safer treatment options would have been equally effective.
Studies showed that approximately 10 percent of women who received transvaginal mesh for Pelvic Organ Prolapse experienced mesh erosion within twelve months after surgery. Of women who had to have the surgical mesh removed, some required two or three surgeries. Even after removal of the surgical mesh, some women still experienced pain.
”There are clear risks associated with the transvaginal placement of mesh to treat POP,” an FDA official said. “The FDA is asking surgeons to carefully consider all other treatment options and to make sure that their patients are fully informed of potential complications from surgical mesh. Mesh is a permanent implant -- complete removal may not be possible and may not result in complete resolution of complications.”
The FDA did not link adverse transvaginal mesh side effects to any single brand of mesh. While perforations of organs by surgical tools during placement of the surgical mesh through the vagina can be a result of doctor error, the most common reported side effect of mesh erosion, and mesh contraction, may be an indication of a broader problem with the design of the mesh itself.
An FDA advisory panel will meet in September 2011 to weigh the benefits and risks of transvaginal mesh use in treatment or Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Stress Urinary Incontinence.
Do I have a Transvaginal Mesh Side Effects Lawsuit?
Have you undergone surgery for treatment of Pelvic Organ Prolapse or Stress Urinary Incontinence and now suffer from any of the transvaginal mesh side effects above? Did your doctor explain the risk of these side effects to you before your surgery? You can find out if you have grounds for a transvaginal mesh side effects lawsuit by speaking with our lawyers in a free legal consultation. The amount of your potential award depends upon the merits of your case, but you can trust that we will fight to recover the highest award possible because we understand how injuries from transvaginal mesh can affect your life. Fill out our contact form today and take the first step toward the justice and compensation you deserve.
