As this blog and other media sources have reported, the complications associated with transvaginal mesh products can range from excruciating to fatal. In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finally stepped up and released this statement: ìserious complications associated with surgical mesh for transvaginal repair of Pelvic Organ Prolapse are not rare.î
Mealy-mouthed, perhaps, but a heartening change, at least according to the POVs of people advocating for patient rights and reforms.
But the FDA’s statement is not the only industry criticism making headlines. In a recent piece that’s gotten a ton of a press attention, the Daily Globe and Mail, a paper from the UK, lashed into British doctors and medical safety bodies for failing to address the side effects of transvaginal mesh surgery.
The Daily Mail points out that many patients who go in for routine surgeries – such as bladder treatment surgeries – are not effectively warned of the risks. The article also highlights how difficult it can be to remove degraded/broken up mesh after the product’s been inserted – and how many doctors who use mesh products to treat patients don’t know how to do the surgery well.
Furthermore, transvaginal mesh lawsuits can be hard to bring, since many patients have pre-existing conditions, such as Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP), prior to getting the mesh. Thus, it can be challenging to prove that a bogus product or botched surgical job actually caused a particular medical problem.
The Daily Mail argues that the so-called “cheesewire effect” caused by transvaginal tape – which is known to cause excruciating pain – is but one of many side effects. Other medical issues include incontinence, infection, damage to organs, and ìthe end of [many women’s] sex lives.î Despite the fact that the Mail published a vigorous editorial over a year ago denouncing bad practices and the dangers of a transvaginal tape, these products are still commonly used both in the UK and in the United States.
Britain’s Department of Health recorded nearly 2,700 attempts last year to remove TVT. Extrapolating from these figures, the Daily Mail concluded that “about one in 20 of the 35,500 operations a year [in the UK] to insert the material goes disastrously wrong.”
Can you take legal action, if you’ve suffered from transvaginal mesh complications?
The team here at Carey, Danis & Lowe can help you understand your rights and possible legal recourse. Get in touch with us today to go over what resources might be available to you and your family to get you remunerated.
