The Trouble With Transvaginal Mesh Implants?

Big pharmaceutical companies often cut corners, and when they do, people can get hurt. If you have had any complication after a pelvic surgery where transvaginal mesh was used, you need to be aware of your legal options. You may be entitled to substantial compensation.

POP and SUI

In women, the front wall of the vagina supports the bladder and can weaken or loosen with age. Furthermore, significant bodily stress, such as that caused by childbirth, can also damage this part of the vaginal wall.

If the transvaginal wall deteriorates enough, a woman can suffer pelvic organ prolapse (POP), meaning that a woman’s pelvic organs are no longer supported by the vaginal wall and descend into the vagina. This triggers stress urinary incontinence (SUI), a condition marked by urinary difficulties, discomfort, and urine leakage when sneezing, coughing, during physical exertion, etc.

For decades, doctors have been using so-called transvaginal mesh to treat POP and SUI. In operations called sling procedures, doctors use surgical mesh to create a sling-like structure to support the patient’s urethra, bladder, or other organ. Unfortunately, complications with some mesh products are causing women to bleed, swell up, develop infections, and experience debilitating pain.

Transvaginal Mesh History

Physicians first start using general purpose surgical mesh in the 1950s to treat abdominal hernias. In the 1970s, doctors began cutting that same type of mesh into a different shape and using it to treat female POP and SUI.

In the late 1990s, the popularity of using surgical mesh in POP and SUI surgeries encouraged medical device manufacturers to develop and market mesh specifically designed to treat those two conditions in female patients.

For decades now, doctors have been using so-called transvaginal mesh to treat POP and SUI, but, a number of serious compilations can arise from the use of this product, including:

• Serious infections
• Severe pain
• Blood vessel, bladder or Bowel punctures, and
• Scarring of the vaginal wall
• Pain during sex
• Vaginal tightening
• Mesh erosion
• Mesh shrinkage

In 2008, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its first warning regarding the side effects and risks associated with the use of certain transvaginal mesh products to both the public and doctors. This was in response to receiving more than 1000 adverse event reports about surgical mesh products used to treat POP and SUI.

Between 2008 and 2010, the number of serious complaints to the FDA about transvaginal mesh products used to treat POP and SUI increased fivefold. Unfortunately, however, the number of available transvaginal mesh products also increased. Moreover, some of these products were rushed to market for financial reasons, without adequate premarket clinical trials, and many of them are still on the market today.

Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuits

Many women have suffered as a result of defective vaginal mesh products that are still on the market and they are filing lawsuits against transvaginal mesh manufacturers to demand compensation for their injuries.

If you received a transvaginal mesh that not only didn’t help you, but worse, caused you harm, then you might be eligible for compensation from the manufacturer of that mesh. This includes compensation for your:

• Medical bills
• Out-of-pocket costs
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering

But, only with the help of an experienced attorney will you have the best chance at receiving the most monetary compensation for the injuries that you have suffered.

Contact an Experienced Defective Medical Devices Attorney

If you are experiencing harmful complications as a result of receiving a transvaginal mesh implant, you deserve compensation for your injuries. The Hayes Firm: Attorney Finding Service can match you with an experienced and reputable attorney who can answer any questions you may have. Call us at 1-800-603-6833 or contact us via our online form for a free, no-obligation consultation. Don’t be a victim. Get the help you deserve.