Johnson & Johnson (J&J) executives are currently under the microscope as to whether or not they engaged in criminal activity when they “lost” documents critical to lawsuits filed against them.

As we noted in previous posts, on February 4th, a federal magistrate judge ruled that Ethicon, a subsidiary of J&J, destroyed or lost documents that…

Part I: Destroying Valentine’s Day

Two weeks ago was Valentine’s Day— a holiday that is supposed to be full of romance and heartfelt encounters with those you love. For many lucky people, Valentine’s Day was exactly that this year. Countless couples across the country could be seen on dates, filling restaurants, theaters, and dance-halls to…

Over the course of the past several days, Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson company, has crowed over the fact that it “prevailed” in a lawsuit regarding the pelvic mesh devices it manufactured and promoted. At first glance, the media headlines regarding Ethicon’s recent “triumph” are confusing, and might even make it seem like Ethicon has…

Right now, thousands of vaginal mesh lawsuits are pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. Just as the criminal justice system would collapse if every criminal case went to trial, so too would our civil justice system collapse if every vaginal mesh case went to trial. The vaginal mesh…

Pelvic organ prolapse is a common condition among aging women, characterized by the shifting of pelvic organs, which push up against the vaginal walls.  The condition may occur as a result of surgery or childbirth and oftentimes causes pain or discomfort.  One method of treating prolapse is to use a synthetic polypropylene mesh to provide…

Transvaginal mesh (TVM) is a fairly new mesh-augmented suspension system, only becoming commercially available in 2004.  Early studies reported a promising short-term anatomical success rate of 94%.  Further studies were deemed necessary after the Food and Drug Administration reported several adverse outcomes associated with the use of these mesh kits.

One such study, titled…

Several studies have been conducted, evaluating the effectiveness of transvaginal mesh (TVM) usage in treating damaged vaginal tissues.  Initial studies primarily focused on the anatomical success of TVM, with less emphasis on functional outcome.  Dr. Salil Khandwala conducted a study titled “Transvaginal Mesh Surgery for Pelvic Organ Prolapse: One-Year Outcome Analysis,” published in…

Stress urinary incontinence is a condition characterized by the inability to hold urine while under physical stress, even as mild as coughing or sneezing.  One method of treating such cases, which has rapidly grown more popular recently, involves the use of a sling.  The sling is used in order to avoid complications associated with the…