Transvaginal Mesh Products Can Cause More Harm than Good

Tennessee products liability attorneys helping injury victims in Nashville, Knoxville, Hendersonville and East Tennessee

There is a health condition that can occur in women after hysterectomy, menopause or childbirth called pelvic organ prolapse (POP), where a woman's pelvic floor muscles weaken to the point where her pelvic organs drop down into the vagina. A surgical mesh implant is a medical device made of polypropylene that was designed to be a permanent repair for POP and stress urinary incontinence. The "transvaginal" descriptor refers to the surgical technique where doctors implant the mesh device up through the vagina rather than through an abdominal incision. Inserting the implant through the vagina has proven to be quicker, easier, less invasive and with a quicker recovery time for the patient.

What seemed like a perfect solution to a painful problem for women has only added to the suffering for so many, because the technique recommended by the device's manufacturer has contributed to complications such as erosion of the vaginal tissues, organ perforation and infection and other painful side effects. At the Rocky McElhaney Law Firm we represent clients who have been injured by defective products. We have the knowledge and the experience and the tenacity to fight for the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses.

What are the injuries caused by transvaginal mesh implants?

A doctor implants the transvaginal mesh product to support the organs within the pelvis, which include the bladder, uterus and rectum. However, over time the mesh implant can shift, cause infections and other complications that can include:

• Vaginal bleeding, scarring, infections
• Urinary problems
• Lower back pain
• Painful intercourse
• Painful urination
• Perforated bowel and bladder
• Reoccurrence of stress urinary incontinence or POP
• Surgery to repair implant or to remove it

Thousands of women have undergone this sensitive procedure to cure an embarrassing medical condition only to have the cure end up being worse than the original problem in some cases. Women have undergone a second surgery to repair the problems caused by the pelvic mesh implants, but some of the damage can become permanent.

In July 2013 the FDA updated a safety warning that it had originally released in 2008 about the complications associated with transvaginal placement of surgical mesh for pelvic organ prolapse.