Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Ethicon, Inc., the manufacturer of various transvaginal mesh implants used to help women, announced that it is withdrawing the Ethicon mesh products. The Ethicon mesh products are the Gynecare TVT Secur System and Gynecare Prolift Pelvic Floor Repair System. Ethicon has, or intends to, advise hospitals and physicians that other treatments should be sought for women who may need pelvic organ prolapse or are suffering from urinary incontinence.
Not a Recall?
Ethicon spokesperson Matthew Johnson has attempted to convince the public that the company’s decision to stop selling the transvaginal mesh products had nothing to do with them being unsafe. But more than 600 lawsuits filed against J &J and Ethicon over their mesh devices and serious negative attention from the FDA says otherwise. It is our sincere hope that other transvaginal mesh manufacturers will likewise realize the danger of their products and remove them from the market, so that no more innocent women are harmed.
Transvaginal Mesh: History of Complications
In July 2011, the FDA warned of serious complications associated with transvaginal mesh patches when implanted to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The FDA has received more than 3,800 reports of adverse effects caused by the surgical mesh or during implantation of the patch.
Millions of women have received a transvaginal surgical mesh implant (sometimes called vaginal mesh or vaginal tape) to repair pelvic organ prolapse and to treat stress urinary incontinence. Often, the mesh is made of polypropylene, a form of plastic. The plastic mesh is inserted vaginally but has been linked to a high rate of serious complications. Some of the complications include:
- Erosion of the vaginal tissue
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Pain
- Urinary problems such as incontinence
- Pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia)
- Organ perforation (puncturing) from surgical tools during mesh implantation
Less frequent problems included
- Return of POP
- Neuro-muscular problems
- Vaginal scarring/shrinkage
- Emotional problems
If you have suffered complications due to the implantation of an Ethicon product or some other transvaginal mesh to treat POP, you have a right to compensation. By filing a claim against the surgical mesh manufacturer, you could receive compensation for medical costs, other financial burdens and the pain and suffering caused by this defective medical device.
If you have had the surgery and are experiencing problems, you may wish to Contact the experienced medical device lawyers of Childers, Schlueter & Smith, LLC for a free consultation.