Vaginal mesh is a material that is implanted along the vagina to help women who suffer from a number of pelvic conditions, like incontinence. However, this type of procedure has recently gained the attention of the media for the numerous lawsuits against it.
What is Vaginal Mesh?
Choosing to undergo a surgical procedure to help with any condition can be a frightening endeavor, especially if you have never had one before. However, there are some surgeries that seem necessary at the time. Your doctor is often the greatest resource when it comes to understanding the process of a surgery, as he or she helps you to make important medical decisions. While most surgeries are safe with limited risk, that is not the case for recent information that has been exposed regarding vaginal mesh.
Vaginal mesh was created with the original intention of helping women with urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse to gain greater control over their body. With multiple types of transvaginal mesh, your doctor would normally be the one to help you determine the best solution. During the procedure, your surgeon will have the option of placing the mesh with abdominal surgery or a transvaginal procedure. Most of the time, your doctor will choose a transvaginal procedure, since the process takes less time.
Originally, the materials and products used to repair your muscles in your pelvis were used to help repair your body from a hernia almost 80 years ago. However, many surgeons that performed these implantations did not consider the changes that needed to be made to the material to customize it for this sensitive area. In fact, all that was done at the time was a little cutting and implanting. Within several years, medical device manufacturers finally started creating mesh products that were specifically designed for vaginal implantation.
When this mesh was offered to doctors, they included a whole kit. Complete with the specialized tools, some doctors speculated that these mass-produced kits were part of the beginning of complications with the procedures.
Type of Vaginal Mesh
The type of vaginal mesh you end up using is a decision that is made by your doctor. This decision should be combined with the state of your body, along with any potential allergic reactions. However, as with most decisions in the medical community, the materials used will depend on your doctor’s preferences. Here are a few of the different mesh options that you may use:
- Animal derived mesh, which is made of processed animal tissue that has been disinfected for human use
- Non-absorbable mesh, which will never perish and is permanent
- Absorbable mesh, which loses strength over time and is predominantly used for temporary healing
Since each material is so specific to the use and the patient, you will need to consult with your doctor to make any determinations.
Companies that Produce Vaginal Mesh
With such an innovative medical device, you would think that every company with a hand in the industry would want to produce this material. However, there are five companies that seem to dominate the production of vaginal mesh in the market, which are:
- Johnson & Johnson
- Bard Medical
- American Medical Solutions
- Boston Scientific Coloplast
Each of these brands are widely successful in other ways as well, profiting billions of dollars a year. Unfortunately, with complications and legal problems surrounding the use and implantation of the vaginal mesh lately, it is unlikely that these billions of dollars are coming from these surgeries.
Recent Lawsuits Regarding Vaginal Mesh
At this time, you will be hard-pressed to find any doctor that is willing to perform this surgery, as there are many investigations and lawsuits active against transvaginal mesh procedures. According to multiple clients that have filed lawsuits, both the design and the implantation procedure for the mesh have created much bigger problems for the consumers that have it performed. Specifically, the vaginal mesh implant has contributed to significant bodily issues, like erosion and organ perforation. The improper placement and surgical procedure could also cause infection.
However, those are just a few of the potential risks you take in getting this procedure done. The lawsuits also include that the implantation of these materials can cause:
- Pain in the groin, genitals, and pelvic area
- Nerve damage
- Fistulas
- Scaring
- Infection
The lawsuits have been filed by thousands of women, specifically stating that the companies that produce the mesh gave false or misleading information to their patients. They also allege that the companies were not forthcoming with providing a complete list of the risks and potential long-term damages. Other lawsuits included accusations of:
- Misleading the FDA
- Failing to complete the proper testing of the materials to ensure safety
- Failing to determine an effective way to remove the mesh when it’s no longer needed
Many women who have undergone surgery have already had to revisit the operating room for additional procedures to correct the damage caused by the mesh. There are multiple federal lawsuits that are presently being pursued.
The Current State of the Lawsuits
At this time, at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and many state courts, there have been about 70,000 lawsuits filed. These cases are pending for trial and assessment. However, some women have already been awarded millions of dollars for their cases.
If you have had poor reactions to your experience with vaginal mesh, but you cannot pursue your own lawsuit, you can still participate in a class-action lawsuit for a portion of the payout.
Transvaginal Mesh Conclusion
With so much turmoil surrounding the use of vaginal mesh, it’s clear that the medical community needs to pursue more research before this procedure is a safe way to treat patients. If you’ve considered this procedure in the past, you may want to hold off until those changes have been made. However, if you’ve already had the procedure done, you can find multiple resources online that will allow you to pursue your own lawsuit and representation during this difficult time.
