Behind the Surge in Transvaginal Mesh Claims
For more than a year now, you have probably seen law firm ads on television about patients harmed by transvaginal mesh, a product used in certain pelvic surgeries.
What you likely haven’t seen are the reasons behind the surge in legal claims related to the use of different kinds of transvaginal mesh.
This controversial product has in recent years been used to treat so-called “pelvic organ prolapse,” a condition that results from the deterioration of a woman’s vaginal walls. The condition may be a result of pregnancy, surgery or injury, and can create problems with the patient’s bladder, urethra, or intestines, as well as being painful.
The transvaginal mesh that is sometimes used to treat pelvic organ prolapse is a woven kind of fabric designed to reinforce the vaginal walls. Inside the body, the mesh is intended to lie flat, reinforcing any weak points in the wall, promoting healing and preventing further tearing.
But some kinds of mesh are prone to snapping or tearing, resulting in erosion of the vaginal walls, urinary problems and serious pain, as well as potentially life-threatening complications, such as bowel perforation, bowel obstruction, and toxic sepsis.
Surprisingly, the problems associated with some types of surgical mesh have been known for years, leading to legal claims by adversely affected patients that manufacturers and doctors knew or should have known about the risks to patients and failed to disclose them adequately.
As early as the fall of 2008, the FDA issued a public health notice to alert healthcare providers and the public about a growing number of serious health concerns associated with the use of transvaginal mesh in surgery, and the implicated products included mesh from nine different manufacturers.
In 2010, a clinical trial involving a transvaginal mesh product was halted after a significant percentage of subjects experienced erosion of their vaginal walls, resulting in pain, infection and scarring, among other things.
Then in July of 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) issued another safety alert regarding surgical mesh used in repair of vaginal walls. The FDA indicated that it received more than 3,000 reports of injuries from women who had been treated with transvaginal mesh, and more than 1,500 women reported serious complications that they believed were associated with the product.
If you or a loved one has experienced pain or injury after the insertion of a transvaginal mesh product, it is possible that you may have a legal claim for compensation, especially if you or your loved one has suffered infections, urinary problems, vaginal scarring, perforation of the bowel or bladder, blood vessel damage or other serious complications.
If you think that you or your loved one might have been harmed by a transvaginal mesh product, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (312) 477-2500 to speak with one of our qualified personal injury attorneys. We can help you determine if and how you might have been harmed, and what damages and remedies you can pursue. You can also check out our Website for more information about our law firm, Cogan & Power, P.C.