Transvaginal mesh and vaginal slings are often used to treat women with pelvic organ prolapse, also known as POP. A June study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that pelvic organ prolapse patients who had POP surgery — and who received a vaginal sling during surgery — suffered higher risks for urethral complications than did controls. The study examined 337 patients from the period of May 2007 through October 2009. The study split women into two groups – one group received a vaginal sling; the other group received sham incisions.
The results were pretty shocking. The sling actually did reduce the risk for postoperative urinary incontinence by more than 50%. The control group had a nearly 50% rate of urinary incontinence versus the women with slings, who only had a 23.6% rate of incontinence.
Those rates stayed pretty much the same three months out and 12 months out.
On the other hand, the vaginal slings led to complications.
• 7% of the women who had the slings implanted experienced bladder perforation. No women in the control group had that problem.
• Fewer than 1 out of 5 non-sling women had urinary tract infections; whereas almost 31% of the sling group had UTIs.
• The sling group also reported a small risk of bleeding complications and incomplete bladder emptying (about 3% for both of these conditions); while the non-sling group had no reports of either incomplete bladder emptying or bleeding.
Only the tip of the iceberg?
Even if this was the only study that suggested that vaginal slings and transvaginal mesh sheets might increase risk for side effects like bleeding, bladder emptying problems, and bladder perforation, alarm bells should be going off throughout the medical community.
And as our blog and other news sources have reported, repeatedly, transvaginal mesh complications have been found in numerous independent studies.
So what should you do, if you believe that you have been injured by transvaginal sling or mesh?
The powerful and experienced plaintiff’s team here at Carey, Danis, and Lowe can help you understand your rights and potential avenues to get compensated for your medical treatment, pain and discomfort, surgeries, and other damages. Our compassionate, thorough, and well-educated lawyers can answer your questions and provide a free and confidential case evaluation. Talk to us now.
