The UK government has ordered the suspension of transvaginal mesh surgeries to avoid the risk of life-changing injuries to women. According to an article in the Guardian, the government has accepted that the use of vaginal mesh implants to treat complications after childbirth should be stopped right away to prevent the threat of injury and serious side effects to women. It would essentially stop these surgeries in government-run NHS hospitals. This decision follows an independent inquiry ordered in February, which determined that the surgery must not be performed until steps have been taken to mitigate risks to patients.
Serious Side Effects
Research by the Guardian has found that one in 15 women who get a mesh implant later needed surgery to have it removed due to serious complications. Officials who reviewed the surgeries said they have been appalled at the seriousness and scale of the tragic stories they’ve heard about the horrors of vaginal mesh surgery from women and their families. They say the defective products have led to tremendous suffering and commended the bravery of the women who have chosen to tell their stories and bring awareness to the problems caused by vaginal mesh implants.
Once their efficacy was proved in the treatment of hernias, mesh implants were introduced to use in pelvic organ prolapse surgery in the early 2000s. They also became a popular method to treat stress urinary incontinence after childbirth. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved more than 60 vaginal mesh devices by a number of manufacturers including C.R. Bard and Johnson & Johnson. Many were recalled or later pulled from the market after women experienced a range of horrible side effects from chronic pain, erosion of the mesh through the vaginal wall, bleeding, infections, scarring, organ perforation, or pain during sex, which makes intercourse impossible.
Dangerous and Defective Products
Our law firm continues to represent women who have been injured and scarred for life as a result of these dangerous and defective mesh implant devices. The UK government did the right thing by stopping these surgical procedures. They heard the victims’ stories and took the steps that were necessary to prevent future suffering among women.
However, vaginal mesh implant surgeries are still very much done here in the United States and women continue to suffer the consequences. If you have suffered injuries as the result of a mesh implant device, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries, damages and losses. Contact an experienced product defect lawyer to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/09/government-halts-vaginal-mesh-surgery-in-nhs-hospitals
