Surgical mesh was developed in the mid-20th century as a way to treat hernias. The implant was originally intended to be placed beneath the skin to patch the hole in the abdomen and block intestines and other tissues from protruding, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It can be made from either biological or synthetic materials. Recently, manufacturers of surgical mesh began marketing it as a means to prevent organ prolapse into the vaginas of women. It can be implanted after a hysterectomy or as a separate procedure. Women often experience a weakening of pelvic muscles after pregnancy and childbirth, which can lead to organ prolapse. About one-third of surgeries performed to prevent organ prolapse in women in 2010 used transvaginal mesh as a means to prevent further prolapse.
It may seem a wonder procedure, but the procedure of implantation and the implant itself can have so many negative side effects it may not be the best cure. According to a Bloomberg wire article published in The Daily Record, one manufacturer, Endo Health Solutions Inc., was ordered earlier this year to pay $830 million in damages to resolve lawsuits brought against it by women who had undergone a transvaginal mesh implant procedure. Women allege that the implant “failed to support internal organs and caused incontinence,” according to The Daily Record.
This September a federal jury in the West Virginia court ordered Johnson & Johnson, one manufacturer of defective transvaginal mesh devices, to pay one woman $3.27 million in damages for permanent injuries she sustained after having one of Johnson & Johnson’s transvaginal mesh devices implanted. This is not the first verdict brought against the medical device manufacturing giant: earlier this year, a Texas state jury ruled in favor of a transvaginal mesh suit defendant. She was awarded $1.2 million for alleged damages caused by the TV-O sling manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, according to an article published by Bloomberg wire service. Before the Texas verdict, an even larger settlement was reached in New Jersey, when a Jersey jury awarded more than $11 million to a woman who underwent 18 surgeries in an attempt to fix complications from a Gynecare Prolift device.
If you or someone you know has experienced negative side effects of a transvaginal mesh implant, you may be eligible for compensation. Contact a defective medical device attorney today.
