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1998 – 12% of TVM Surgeries Result in Vaginal Mesh Erosion

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

A 1998 report published in Obstetrics and Gynecology titled “Mesh erosion after abdominal sacrocolpopexy” by Dr. Neeraj Kohli et al. illustrates clearly an all-too-common complication of transvaginal mesh use. Transvaginal mesh (TVM) is synthetic “tissue” used to “mimic,” if you will, human flesh, used in the surgical reconstruction of the vaginal or uterine wall following… Continue Reading

Complications of Transvaginal Mesh Use

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

In 2008, Dr. Rebecca U. Margulies et al. published a report in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that discussed complications requiring surgery following vaginal mesh kit procedures for prolapse.  Aptly so, the article is titled “Complications requiring reoperation following vaginal mesh kit procedures for prolapse” and that original research showing the danger of… Continue Reading

Rates of Complication with Transvaginal Mesh Exceedingly High

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

A report by Dr. Gouri B. Diwadkar et al. (2009) published in Obstetrics and Gynecology has found that rates of complication with the use of transvaginal mesh products is unacceptably high, reaching levels of more than 19%.[1] Retrospectively analyzing previously-published studies of the safety and efficacy of transvaginal mesh that used more than 50 participants… Continue Reading

ABC News: “Elderly Abused at 1 in 3 Nursing Homes”

Posted in Uncategorized

ABC News recently published a report investigating the ongoing problem of nursing home abuse, revealing that the “elderly [are] abused at 1 in 3 nursing homes“.  Currently, about two million Americans reside in long-term nursing care facilities, thus placing over 600,000 elderly persons at risk for abuse. “Numerous” cases of “serious, physical, sexual and verbal abuse”… Continue Reading

10% Rate of Vaginal Mesh Erosion with Transvaginal Mesh

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

Recently, an article published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has shown that while transvaginal mesh products are effective in the treatment of damaged uterine or vaginal walls following pelvic organ prolapse, these products carry a risk of mesh erosion as high as 10%.[1] Analyzing federal databases that keep medical records from 1950… Continue Reading

Complications in the removal of transvaginal mesh

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

A recent article published in a 2011 edition of International Urogynecology Journal titled “Surgical management of mesh-related complications after prior pelvic flood reconstructive surgery with mesh” by Myrthe M. Tijdink et al. reviews possible complications of transvaginal mesh after its use in reconstructive surgery in pelvic organ prolapse or another ailment. This study retrospectively analyzed mesh-related complications… Continue Reading

Complications of Transvaginal Mesh: a case report

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

An article published in a 2006 edition of the medical journal Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases by Stavros Athanasiou et al titled “Vaginal mesh infection due to Bacteroides melaninogenicus: A case report of another emerging foreign body related infection” details the case of a woman who used transvaginal mesh and subsequently experienced severe infection as… Continue Reading

Silicone Transvaginal Mesh “Major Complication” Rate Over 20%

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

A recent publication by medical researchers Fred E. Govier et al. in the journal Adult Urology has revealed a shockingly high rate of complication when using transvaginal mesh, a synthetic tissue product used in vaginal reconstructive surgery and other procedures. The piece, titled “High Complication Rate Identified in Sacrocolpopexy Patients Attributed to Silicone Mesh” analyzed… Continue Reading

Large Study Shows Danger of Transvaginal Mesh

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

Published in a 2012 edition of Indian Journal of Urology, an article by Gopal Badlani et al. titled “Mesh complications in female pelvic floor reconstructive surgery and their management: A systematic review” reviews the safety and efficacy of transvaginal surgical mesh, a synthetic tissue substance used to repair the vaginal wall in reconstructive surgery.  The… Continue Reading

Transvaginal Mesh Erosion in Over 10% of Users

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

Recently, a medical research team led by Peter S. Finamore evaluated the safety of transvaginal mesh, a type of synthetic tissue inserted through the vagina used to repair damaged areas of tissue in pelvic organ prolapsed (POP) and other ailments.  Reviewing a set of 124 patients who had undergone “mesh-augmented vaginal reconstructive surgery during an… Continue Reading

Research Shows: 10% Rate of Vaginal Mesh Erosion with TVM

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

A recent dialogue has begun in the medical community regarding the safety of transvaginal surgical mesh, a common product used to tread pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI).  Believed to be inert and not to react with human tissue, the FDA now has received over 1000 complaints of adverse health effects caused… Continue Reading

Duetact Diabetes Drug Linked to Bladder Cancer

Posted in Uncategorized

A 2011 repot has shown that use of diabetes drug Duetact® (glimepiride and pioglitazone), manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals is associated with a dramatically-increased risk of bladder cancer.  Duetact®, a drug that works by increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin, contains two chemicals proven to be carcinogenic: sulfonylurea and pioglitazone.  Sulfonylurea has been previously linked to… Continue Reading

Duetact Linked to Risk for Cancer and Major Cardiac Events

Posted in Uncategorized

Recently, an ingredient in Duetact®, a popular Type-II diabetes drug, has been found to be associated with an increased risk for bladder cancer.  While another research team (Piccinni et al, 2011) published a report linking pioglitazone to bladder cancer, this report, titled “Mortality and Other Important Diabetes-Related Outcomes With Insulin vs Other Antihyperglycemic Therapies in… Continue Reading

Humira Use Found to Raise Risk of Infection

Posted in Uncategorized

In 2010, research by Astrid Wiens et al. published in the journal Pharmacotherapy demonstrated the danger of a popular pharmaceutical, marketed under the brand name Humira®.  Humira® (adalimumab) is type of TNF inhibitor, a class of chemicals which aim to kill tumor necrosis factor cells in the body.  As TNF cells cause inflammation, the killing… Continue Reading

Pradaxa Use Linked to Heart Attack

Posted in Uncategorized

Recently, an article published by Dr. Ken Uchiro et al in Archives of Internal Medicine reviews the relative safety of antibiotics commonly used today.  The drugs studied were Pradaxa® and warfarin; the risk for heart attack associated with the use of each drug was evaluated relative to other antibiotics and to the use of a… Continue Reading

Transvaginal Mesh Products Linked to Severe Adverse Health Effects

Posted in Uncategorized, Vaginal Mesh

The United States Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the safety of transvaginal mesh products manufactured by Bard Medical, American Medical Systems, Boston Medical Products, Ethicon, and Coloplast USA. The FDA comments: “In the last 3 years, the FDA has received over 1,000 adverse event reports about mesh used in transvaginal surgical repair of… Continue Reading

FDA Gives up on Graphic Cigarette Warnings

Posted in Uncategorized

On the one hand it’s disappointing to see them give up the fight.  On the other, at least this won’t lead to a SCOTUS ruling that strips the FDA of more power.  The fear of such a ruling is why I suspect the FDA gave up. (Reuters) – The government has dropped its push for… Continue Reading

More coverage of generic drug liability

Posted in Uncategorized

More on generic liability:   During a one-hour oral argument justices questioned whether federal law, in this case the requirement that generics have same design as the name-brand version, prevents plaintiffs from making such claims under state law.   Some justices signaled concern about juries making sweeping judgments about the effectiveness of drugs while others… Continue Reading

Former FDA Chief Wants To Gut Clinical Trials

Posted in Uncategorized

What is the “revolving door” I’m always talking about?  It’s this.  The former head of the FDA now is in private industry and he’s proposing drastic cuts to the clinical trial process.  Yet no one complains. The council’s report establishes an ambitious, yet reachable, national goal: doubling the current annual output of new medicines for… Continue Reading

More on the Alabama generics ruling

Posted in Uncategorized

Behind a paywall, but still relevant: Business groups are urging Alabama’s highest court to reconsider its recent ruling that name-brand drug makers can be held liable for injuries caused by the generic versions of their products.   Source: Generic-Drugs Court Decision Irks Businesses – WSJ.com

1997 – Paxil Causes Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Posted in Paxil Birth Defects, Uncategorized

Published in a 1997 edition of The British Journal of Psychiatry by the medical researchers M.L. Dahl et al., a letter to the editor titled “Paroxetine withdrawal syndrome in a neonate” aimed to describe and characterize neonatal withdrawal from Paxil® addiction through exposure to the drug during gestation. This letter describes a case report, a… Continue Reading

WebMD – Mothers Who Switch SSRIs During Pregnancy Plase Newborns at Risk of Heart Defects

Posted in Misc. Drugs, Paxil Birth Defects, Uncategorized, Zoloft Birth Defects

It has been recently found that babies of mothers who filled prescriptions for more than one SSRI during pregnancy were four times as likely to be born with septal heart defects as were other babies born to mothers who did not use SSRIs during pregnancy.  If uncorrected, this birth defect, characterized by a malformation of… Continue Reading

GranuFlo Side-Effects Explained: Metabolic Alkalosis

Posted in Granuflo & Naturalyte, Uncategorized

The condition metabolic alkalosis occurs when the blood is excessively alkaline (or basic, as opposed to acidic).  This condition has a variety of known causes, including fever,[1] “being at a high altitude,”[2] “lack of oxygen”[3] and by excess bicarbonate in the blood.[4]  In the case of GranuFlo, metabolic alkalosis is caused by excess bicarbonate. As… Continue Reading

FDA recall of GranuFlo and Naturalyte

Posted in Drugs, Granuflo & Naturalyte, Uncategorized

On May 29th, 2012 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a Class 1 recall of Fresenius Medical Care’s GranuFlo and Naturalyte, products used to clean and filter the blood in patients undergoing hemodialysis for chronic kidney failure.  As reason for the recall, the FDA writes: “Inappropriate prescription of these products can lead to a… Continue Reading