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Women’s health columns and blogs have been awash recently with frightening reports about the serious dangers associated with the transvaginal placement of surgical mesh to treat pelvic organ prolapse. A July 2011 Safety Communication issued by the FDA, entitled “Serious Complications Associated with Transvaginal Placement of Surgical Mesh in Repair of Pelvic Organ Prolapse”, indicates that the use of vaginal mesh can result in permanent and life-altering side effects. As for any major medical device failure, a huge amount of information – some accurate and some not – is circulating on the web. Vaginal mesh lawyer sites, health blogs and medical resources vary in their reportage of the topic and the women it has affected. Read on for the simple facts, distilled from the long version of the FDA’s official warning.
The 2011 safety alert came as a follow-up to a milder warning issued in 2008. Citing the same side effects as were known in 2008, the new report indicates these complications are “not rare”, as previously thought. In fact, the number of women and health professionals reporting dangerous side effects that have resulted from the transvaginal implantation of surgical mesh has risen five-fold since the 2008 report was released. Women are teaming up with vaginal mesh attorneys to seek compensation for the health problems they have developed as a result of the mesh.
The most common problem reported to the FDA was “mesh erosion”, which results in pieces of the mesh sticking out of the vaginal walls or actually breaking off, migrating to another part of the body and becoming lodged in other internal tissues. As a result of the use of vaginal mesh, women suffer from excruciating vaginal pain, heavy bleeding, infection, and even damage to pelvic organs. Patients experiencing these symptoms require one or more surgeries to remove the mesh; in one extreme case, a woman has had a dozen surgeries and is still suffering side effects from the vaginal mesh sling manufactured by Johnson & Johnson.
If you have had pelvic organ prolapse surgery, the FDA report says you should be sure to continue to attend follow-up doctor’s appointments, inquire with your surgeon as to whether vaginal mesh was used in your surgery, and report any health problems you may be having to your doctor. If you think there is a link between symptoms you are experiencing and pelvic organ prolapse surgery, contact a vaginal mesh lawyer for a free consultation to understand your legal options. Finally, if you are suffering no side effects, don’t worry. Many women do not experience problems related to surgical mesh implantation.
If pelvic organ prolapse repair surgery has been recommended to you, be sure to inquire as to the method of repair. The most recent FDA report concluded that surgeons and patients should consider alternative means of repair whenever possible. The use of transvaginal mesh does not offer any clear advantages over other repair methods, but may pose a significant risk. If you do decide to use transvaginal mesh for pelvic organ prolapse repair, be aware that surgical mesh implantation is permanent and can lead to life-long health problems.
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