"Ask a Lawyer" - Mesh Implants

I am a 38 years old woman who had a mesh implant three years ago.  Now I am having awful issues with it.  I read that there is a lawsuit over these implants.  Will the lawsuit make the company pay for removal? Angie, Dora

Also called a sling, patch, and tape, a mesh implant is a surgical mesh device used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence in women. Several medical device manufacturers such as C.R. Bard, Johnson & Johnson, American Medical Systems, and Boston Scientific manufactures and sells surgical mesh products designed for implantation. Recently, the FDA and thousands of patients have been questioning the safety of these products; the FDA even issued a warning to patients and healthcare providers regarding the potential risks of this product.

More than 5,000 patients filed injury reports to the FDA during 2005 and 2014. The FDA estimates that failure rates for mesh devices may be as high as 10 percent. Device failure can result in serious complications such as:  scarring, recurrence of condition, inflammation, mesh erosion, urinary problems, and pain.

Why did the FDA approve a product with such a high failure rate? 

The first mesh device was approved in 1996 under the FDA code 510(k), a clearance process that does not require the manufacturer to conduct thorough testing of the product. Although the device was recalled after three years, due to overwhelming numbers of injury reports, dozens of medical device manufacturers have been able to receive clearance for products similar to the recalled mesh.

If you are satisfied with your treatment, it is not necessary for you to take further action. However, it is important for all patients to go through annual and other routine check ups to ensure complications do not develop in the future.

If you have suffered health complications, patients may file a product liability lawsuit against the medical device manufacturers.  Compensation claimed in a lawsuit will include an amount to pay for a revision or removal.  Presently, several companies are facing lawsuits from women who have been harmed as a result of mesh devices such as: Gynecare, TVT, Avaulta, Gynemesh, Elevate, Perigee and Advantage Mid-Urethral Sling

Patients who have been injured by a surgical mesh implant and are considering legal action should contact a professional product liability lawyer as soon as possible.

Product Liability lawyers at Nelson, Bryan and Jones have accumulated years of experience litigating against large corporations on behalf of wrongfully injured consumers. With a track record of successfully taking on large corporations, our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for seriously injured victims. For more information on how the lawyers at Nelson, Bryan and Jones can help you, please call us today to schedule a free consultation.

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