One could never tell from the volume of litigation that there has not been one recall after another of a transvaginal mesh. In the federal courts alone, as of March 13, 43,173 transvaginal mesh lawsuits filed against seven manufacturers were centralized before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
The transvaginal mesh is designed to support weakened or damaged tissue. The transvaginal mesh surgical kit was designed to correct pelvic organ prolapse, also called POP, the “bulge” of organs into the vagina, and it was also approved to treat stress urinary incontinence, known as SUI, or the unintended leakage of urine, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
A dramatic increase in adverse transvaginal mesh events reported to the FDA between 2006-2008 and 2008-2010 jarred the FDA into stricter oversight of this medical device.
The FDA explained the complications this way: “From 2008-2010, the most frequent complications reported to the FDA for surgical mesh devices for POP repair include mesh erosion through the vagina, pain, infection, bleeding, pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia), organ perforation, and urinary problems. There were also reports of recurrent prolapse, neuro-muscular problems, vaginal scarring/shrinkage, and emotional problems. Many of these complications require additional intervention, including medical or surgical treatment and hospitalization.”
One study showed that there has been a risk of infection associated with agonizing revision surgery that has been usually conducted to remove the mesh.
As the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation wrote in one of its February orders, these transvaginal mesh lawsuits generally involve “factual questions arising from allegations that pelvic surgical mesh products … were defectively designed, manufactured and marketed, resulting in serious injuries, and that defendants failed to provide appropriate warnings and instructions regarding the risks and dangers posed by the device.”
A lot of women have been had. The injured patients have a right to pursue compensation for their medical costs, pain and suffering, indeed for all of their losses. The experienced attorneys at Reich & Binstock are advocates a transvaginal mesh victim can turn to for effective legal representation. And these transvaginal mesh victims deserve the best.
