Hernia Mesh Complications

Leading surgeons have voiced their concerns about the disproportionate risk of severe hernia mesh complications, including spontaneous migration, infection and adhesion. If you or someone you love experienced injury after hernia mesh surgery, you may have options for legal recovery. Surgical mesh is the preferred method for treating hernias of the groin and abdominal wall, but tens of thousands of patients who had this “minimally invasive” surgery are now living with chronic pain and medical problems – some that are life-threatening.

If you developed complications or required additional procedures following surgery with Ethicon Physiomesh Composite, Atrium C-QUR hernia mesh, or patches made by Bard or Covidien, you may have grounds to file a hernia mesh lawsuit. Understand your legal options and rights to compensation by discussing your case with Louisiana injury attorney Bart Bernard.

According to Robert Bendavid – one of the founders of the American Hernia Society – the prevalence of chronic pain and health complications has increased significantly since the use of polypropylene mesh for hernia repair became commonplace in the 1990s. Consumer safety advocates argue that surgeons have been purposefully manipulated by the medical device industry to use implantable fabric for hernia repair, despite known risks for foreign body reaction, rejection, post-operative pain, bowel perforation and mesh migration.

An estimated 9 out of every ten hernia surgeries performed in the United States every year rely on surgical mesh, and studies show that up to 20 percent of these result in at least one post-operative complication, with lingering pain being the most common. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found an alarming hernia mesh complication rate among participants, who experienced bleeding, bowel obstruction, late abscess formation and organ perforation in both open and laparoscopic procedures. During the study’s follow-up, patients developed hernia mesh problems years later, suggesting that complications can unfold slowly over time.

Some of the most prevalent injuries that give rise to a hernia mesh complications lawsuit:

• Adhesions – scar tissue that forms between bodily tissues resulting from trauma. If left untreated adhesions can lead to digestive problems, chronic pain, infertility and bowel obstruction
• Mesh-related infection – deep bacterial infections around the surgical mesh can be difficult to treat and may require additional surgery. Research documented in the Clinical Microbiology and Infection found hernia mesh infection rates as high as 8 percent.
• Bowel obstruction – a blockage of the small or large intestines is a dangerous complication linked to hernia mesh that if not treated immediately can constrict blood flow, causing part of the bowel to die
• Bowel and intestinal perforation – bowel perforation occurs when the mesh erodes through the tissues or punctures them. This can lead to peritonitis and sepsis – a life-threatening infection in the bloodstream.
• Hernia mesh migration – Mesh devices can spontaneously detach after surgery, migrating inside the body, causing infection, abscesses, fistulas and raising the risk of organ perforation
• Mesh rejection – Materials and coatings used in hernia mesh products can trigger the body’s immune system to create an inflammatory response as it attempts to reject the mesh.
• Fistula formation – this occurs when a damaged or inflamed organ develops an abnormal connection or passageway to adjacent structures
• Hernia recurrence – Hernia recurrence is a common complication, usually requiring a secondary surgery. Ethicon pulled its Physiomesh devices in 2016 due to a high than average risk of hernia recurrence.

Anecdotal evidence has demonstrated that individuals who receive surgical mesh for hernia repair are at least three times more likely to experience serious health issues that can negatively impact quality of life. Mesh devices can migrate in the body, cause inflammatory responses, shrink and erode into tissue, cause bacterial infections and other damage requiring surgical intervention and costly medical treatment.

In their evaluation of adverse event reports, the FDA found that recalled hernia mesh devices – such as Ethicon’s Phyiomesh Composite — were the primary cause of bowel obstruction and perforation complications.

It’s important to note that hernia mesh complications can arise soon after surgery or many months later. If any of the following symptoms present, seek medical treatment as soon as possible:

• High fever/Chills
• Stiffness or tenderness in the abdomen
• Unusual drainage at the surgical site
• Difficulty passing stool
• Persistent flu-like symptoms
• Nausea or vomiting
• Difficulty urinating
• Bloating/inability to pass gas
• Severe pain at surgical site

Hernia mesh constructed from either biological or synthetic materials can be rejected by the body. Symptoms of mesh rejection include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Pain
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Flu-like symptoms including fever and tenderness
• Swelling near the hernia mesh surgical site
• Redness

As many current plaintiffs have discovered, hernia mesh failure symptoms are often subtle at first, but slowly transform into a cascade of disabling health complications that are difficult and expensive to treat. Many victims are so incapacitated they can no longer work full time, or enjoy simple activities that once brought joy to their lives.

If you live in Louisiana and experienced hernia mesh complications that have negatively impacted your life, contact the Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers for a free, no-obligation consultation. Defective medical device claims are time-sensitive; don’t forfeit your rights to legal compensation – contact our Lafayette or Baton Rouge offices today.

1. JAMA Surgery, Long-term Recurrence and Complications Associated With Elective Incisional Hernia Repair https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2565771
2. Annals of Surgery, Risk Factors for Long-term Pain After Hernia Surgery https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1602172/
3. FDA, Adverse Event Report: ETHICON INC. PHYSIOMESH MESH, SURGICAL https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/detail.cfm?mdrfoi__id=5782201
4. FDA, Hernia Surgical Mesh Implants https://www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/productsandmedicalprocedures/implantsandprosthetics/herniasurgicalmesh/default.htm
5. Stuff, Risks from surgical mesh in hernia repair too high, Canadian surgeon says https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/100549387/risks-from-surgical-mesh-in-hernia-repair-too-high-canadian-surgeon-says

Last modified: July 04, 2019