An Atlanta woman is reportedly suffering chronic, excruciating pain that has made it difficult for her to perform everyday activities from walking and using the toilet to having sex after surgical mesh used to treat a hernia tore her pelvic nerve. According to a news report in The Daily Mail, the strong painkillers 36-year-old Amy Whitaker took in order to numb that pain erased memories of her children. As she suffered, Whitaker’s parents took out two mortgages to help Whitaker and her husband care for their children.
A Horrific Journey of Pain and Trauma
The article talks about Whitaker and her family’s nightmarish journey that began in August 2016 when she woke up from what she believed was “minor surgery” to remove a pelvic hernia. According to Whitaker, the minute she opened her eyes, she felt intense pain. Instead of closing the surgical site inside with stitches, the doctor had used a surgical mesh to “stem” it. But, it wasn’t until months after the operation that Whitaker, now 36, found out that the mesh had been placed too low.
This caused it to tear into the nerve connecting her clitoris, anus, vulva and pelvis. Since she was in constant pain, Whitaker had to get help to cook meals for her family and take care of her children. The year that followed was a “blur of pain” and the prescription drugs she took to numb the pain wiped out memories of her newborn daughter.
The intense burning sensation and pain in her pelvis and vagina made it important for her to sit, go to the bathroom or be intimate with her husband. The mesh essentially damaged Whitaker’s pudendal nerve, which controls sensation to the entire area. Whitaker now has a blog titled “The Glass is Half Full” where she talks about her challenges and lets other sufferers know and they are not alone.
Defective Medical Devices
The mesh in question was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to repair hernias. The mesh is made from synthetic polypropylene and material patches are commonly used in surgeries involving the uterus, vagina, bladder and urinary tract. Many women have reported similar side effects from this type of mesh including severe vaginal pain, inability to have sex, infections, bleeding and organ erosion. In addition, surgical mesh is extremely difficult to remove once it is placed and procedure to get rid of it can in itself lead to further damage, pain and complications.
If you have suffered similar complications or side effects as a result of these mesh devices, please contact an experienced product defect attorney to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights. You may be able to seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost wages, hospitalization, cost of other services, permanent injuries, disability and pain and suffering.
