There are more than 200,000 women who undergo surgery for pelvic organ prolapse each year. With this surgery, many women have received transvaginal mesh implants in their pelvic areas. The placement of these mesh implants have posed serious risks for women.
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP), according to National Association for Continence (NAFC), is where there is damage to a female’s support systems, such as the uterus, rectum, and/or bladder, and a result, the pelvic organs decent. Treatment for POP includes the use of pessaries, surgery, or just waiting.
There are several different types of surgery available to a woman with POP according to Dr. Anthony Visco, Md. One option is abdominal sacrocolpopexy which involves using surgical mesh placement to suspend the vagina to the sacrum. This type of surgery is usually performed through an abdominal incision. Another type of surgery is called robotic sacrocolpopexy, which involves the use of surgical mesh placement to support the vagina. Here, the surgical mesh is placed abdominally with a robotic technique and not vaginally.
Surgical mesh placement kits have been marketed over the past couple of years using the mesh to place in the vagina, through a vaginal incision and then supporting the tissues to various pelvic ligaments. However, surgical mesh placement has potential harmful risks. It was in October 2008 when FDA first issued a Public Health Notification about the serious complications involved with transvaginal placement of surgical mesh. The warnings FDA gave included the potential for women with the placement of surgical mesh to:
(1) have a great effect on the quality of their life
(2) pain during sexual intercourse
(3) narrowing of the vaginal wall and
(4) scarring.
On July 13, 2011, FDA released an update on the serious complications associated with Transvaginal placement of surgical mesh for POP.
FDA released this statement:
“Based on an updated analysis of adverse events reported to the FDA and complications described in the scientific literature, the FDA identified surgical mesh for transvaginal repair of POP as an area of continuing serious concern.”
FDA said that the serious complications associated with surgical mesh placement are NOT RARE. There is a high risk for patients who have the surgical mesh placement.
For these and many others reasons, the law firm of Childers, Schlueter and Smith, LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia continues to review and investigate potential transvaginal mesh implant cases on behalf of women all over the United States. Initial case consults are free of charge to all victims affected by defective and dangerous transvaginal mesh implants. Please feel free to contact our firm with any questions regarding the mesh implants. All inquiries are completely confidential and will be discretely discussed with a trained transvaginal mesh implant lawyer given the sensitive nature of these implants.