Specific Risks & Dangers Associated with Transvaginal Pelvic Mesh Implants
Henry Spiegel Milling LLP represents women in Georgia and throughout the U.S. who have suffered complications associated with transvaginal pelvic mesh. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling products liability and personal injury claims involving dangerous and defective medical devices and systems, and are well-qualified to help women recover compensation for damages related to transvaginal mesh implants.
Frequent Complications from Transvaginal Surgical Mesh
In July 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety communication to inform the medical community and patients of serious complications associated with transvaginal placement of surgical mesh. As of January 2012, the FDA was still evaluating the safety of transvaginal pelvic mesh, but maintained that dangerous complications after transvaginal mesh surgery are not a rare phenomenon.
Surgical mesh, made from porous absorbable or non-absorbable synthetic material or absorbable biological material, is a medical device used to repair weakened or damaged tissue. In urogynecologic procedures, surgical mesh may be used to repair pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence (SUI). For POP repair, the mesh is permanently implanted to support the weakened vaginal wall, and for SUI repair, it supports the urethra or bladder neck. According to the FDA, the most frequent complications for transvaginal pelvic mesh devices include:
- Mesh erosion through the vagina, also known as exposure, extrusion, or protrusion
- Pain, infection, and bleeding
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Organ perforation
- Urinary problems
- Recurrent prolapse of pelvic organs
- Neuro-muscular problems
- Vaginal scarring or shrinkage
- Emotional problems
Mesh erosion, the most common and consistently reported mesh-related complication from transvaginal POP surgeries, may require multiple subsequent surgeries to repair, and can be debilitating for some women. In the most severe cases, even multiple surgeries will not resolve the complication.
The FDA also advised health care providers that POP can usually be treated successfully without mesh, or by placing the mesh abdominally rather than transvaginally, thus avoiding the risk of mesh-related complications. If a doctor uses mesh in a POP surgery without properly considering the risks associated with transvaginal mesh placement, or does not fully inform the patient of the risks, he or she could be held liable for complications along with the mesh manufacturer.
Mesh Injury Lawyers
If you or someone you know has undergone surgery involving the implantation of transvaginal pelvic mesh, please contact Henry Spiegel Milling LLP today at (404) 832-8000 for a free initial consultation. We will discuss your options for financial recovery, and you pay no attorneys’ fees unless we resolve your case through verdict or settlement.
