What Is Transvaginal Mesh Used For?
Surgical mesh is a netlike implant that supports the vagina or other organs when a woman has pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Pelvic organ prolapse is when the muscles and ligaments supporting a woman’s pelvic organs weaken, and the organs slip out of place (prolapse). Stress urinary incontinence is when a woman experiences a lack of bladder control during ordinary activities like sneezing, coughing, lifting and running. Surgical mesh is implanted to support the bladder or urethra.
How Is Transvaginal Mesh Surgery Done?
Transvaginal mesh surgery is done by inserting the surgical mesh through the vagina, rather than through the abdomen. Though there have been problems with abdominal mesh surgery, it is considered much safer than transvaginal mesh surgery, which has caused serious, debilitating complications for thousands of women.
In 2008, the United States Food and Drug Administration warned of complications associated with transvaginal mesh implants. The FDA continued to express concerns and issue warnings and, most recently, on January 4, 2016, the FDA reclassified transvaginal mesh surgery to treat POP from moderate risk classification to high risk. Unfortunately, this reclassification came after hundreds of thousands of women already had transvaginal mesh implants. For many of these women, the damage has been done.
What Are Some Transvaginal Mesh Problems?
According to the FDA website, the most frequently reported problems include:
- Transvaginal Mesh Erosion
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Organ perforation (holes poked, pierced in organs) from surgical tools used
- Urinary problems
- Additional hospitalization/surgeries needed to repair damage/remove mesh.
The above list is not all inclusive.
Has There Been a Transvaginal Mesh Recall?
To date, transvaginal mesh has not been recalled, but the FDA reclassified transvaginal mesh used to repair POP as Class III high-risk devices on January 4, 2016. Class III is the highest-risk category the FDA has for medical devices.
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers by women who have received the transvaginal mesh. These recipients have suffered serious and often debilitating injuries, chronic pain, and in many cases have undergone multiple surgeries with varying degrees of success to correct the damage / remove the transvaginal mesh implant and prevent further injury.
In the past, doctors used other options to repair POP and SUI, and the FDA strongly recommends returning to these methods when possible because the risks associated with transvaginal mesh may outweigh any benefits. The FDA recommends that doctors should recognize that POP can be successfully treated without mesh. Also, that doctors should inform patients if the mesh is being used. Finally, patients need to be assertive in demanding to know why a Class III medical device is necessary and what other options there are.
Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuits
Tens of thousands of lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers by women who have received the transvaginal mesh. These recipients have suffered serious and often debilitating injuries, chronic pain, and in many cases, have undergone multiple surgeries with varying degrees of success to correct the damage/remove the transvaginal mesh implant and prevent further injury.
One lawsuit filed against Boston Scientific alleges the company used counterfeit resin from China in its vaginal mesh after a name brand manufacturer would no longer supply resin for permanent implants due to safety issues. Boston Scientific may face criminal charges if this allegation is found to be true.
How a Transvaginal Mesh Law Firm Can Help
If you have suffered any injury or discomfort from a transvaginal mesh implant, you can join thousands of other women who have chosen the path of holding pharmaceutical manufacturers, and perhaps others, accountable for the injuries and suffering the transvaginal surgical mesh devices have caused you. You may have a cause for legal action based on product liability law, for:
- Negligence
- Breach of Warranty
- Strict Liability
Depending on the facts of your case and the jurisdiction where you file your lawsuit, you may have other causes for legal action. You could be entitled to recover damages for:
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Lost wages
- Medical bills
- Loss of consortium
- Perhaps punitive damages (to punish wrongdoers and discourage similar behavior).
Though federal courts have not awarded class action status to transvaginal mesh litigation, many of the lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL). This allows a federal judge to hear pretrial motions in related cases (individual transvaginal mesh lawsuits) where at least one legal question can be ruled on, narrowing the scope of discovery and pretrial motions in order to streamline the lawsuits so they don’t drag on so long.
After the multidistrict litigation judge rules on the common legal issues in the lawsuits, the cases are remanded back to the original courts for trial at the discretion of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, which controls the proceeding. When a federal judge has ruled on common issues of law related to a large group of transvaginal mesh lawsuits, the litigation process can be more focused for individual cases. This allows the jury to bypass complicated legal issues and to hear and rule on questions of fact that differ for your case, such as exactly how the transvaginal mesh implant injured you physically, and what damages the injury(s) did to your life.
Isaacs & Isaacs Transvaginal Mesh Attorneys Will Help You File Your Case
If you have suffered an injury from your transvaginal mesh implant, you will need a skilled and experienced attorney who will fight for you to receive every last penny for your pain and suffering, and for all the financial losses and emotional stress you’ve had to endure. Isaacs & Isaacs has decades of experience helping victims of defective medical devices to receive fair and just settlements for all their suffering.
Our 99-percent success rate is largely based on our conviction that when a medical device manufacturer abuses their power and pursues profit with reckless disregard for the safety of thousands of everyday people who have entrusted their lives and their health into the medical device manufacturer’s expertise in developing a safe product, they should have to pay each person they have hurt every last penny the law allows. We believe that all too frequently the only path to justice is through civil litigation. For us, obtaining justice is not a job, it’s a vocation.
We understand the painful physical, emotional and financial ordeal you are struggling with, and we will represent you on a contingency fee basis. If we don’t recover your money, you do not owe us a penny, and we don’t get paid until you do. These cases can be expensive to litigate, and Isaacs & Isaacs has the resources to bear the cost while we seek justice for you.
Because there are statutes of limitations which will bar you from recovering any damages for your injury if you wait too long, it is crucial you speak to one of our transvaginal mesh lawsuit attorneys immediately. Isaacs & Isaacs dedicated team of legal pros is here to assist you now. You can reach us any time of the day or night at 800-800-8888 or fill out our form online to consult with an experienced, aggressive and compassionate Isaacs & Isaacs transvaginal mesh attorney.
