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 specific reconstructive surgery reviewed here is that required in pelvic floor reconstruction.

By searching through the medical research database curated by the United States National Institutes of Health, PubMed, the Badlani et al. team isolated 170 previously-published articles concerning the use of vaginal mesh in pelvic flood reconstruction, and through further review, was able to determine what are the likely complications of vaginal mesh use.

Commenting on their findings, the Badlani et al. (2012) team made the following remarks:

“Synthetic mesh is being increasingly used in the management of pelvic organ prolapse. While the incidence of extrusion and erosion with mid-urethral sling is low, the extrusion rate in prolapse repair is somewhat higher and the use in posterior compartment remains controversial. When used through the abdominal approach the extrusion and erosion rates are lower. The management of mesh complication is an individualized approach. The choice of the technique should be based on the type of mesh complication, location of the extrusion and/or erosion, its magnitude, severity and potential recurrence of pelvic floor defect.”[1]

The types of mesh erosion (the main complication identified by Badlani et al.) were divided into two categories: exposure (the protrusion of the mesh to a visible location), and perforation (the tearing of an organ, cavity wall, or organ lining).  An analysis of the incidence rate reported in over 100 scientific articles, studying a total of 11,785 patients revealed that 10.3% of transvaginal mesh uses will result in transvaginal mesh erosion, precisely replicating the findings of other contemporary research on the subject.[2]

With complication rates so high, one might assume that users of transvaginal mesh had been made perfectly aware of the risks therein prior to consenting to the procedure.  However, that is not the case.  The manufacturers of transvaginal mesh products have been recently found to have misled users or to have withheld information regarding the safety of products, spurring a number of transvaginal mesh lawsuits across the country.

Currently, 56 transvaginal mesh products manufactured by 5 separate companies are under review by the FDA.

If you used a transvaginal mesh product and experienced transvaginal mesh erosion, please do not hesitate to contact our team of transvaginal mesh lawyers for a free case consultation.

At your convenience, you may reach our offices by phone at (855) 452-5529 or by e-mail at justinian@dangerousdrugs.us.  Our Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuit Information page is a great place to start if you have additional questions about Transvaginal Mesh.