What You Need to Know About Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
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Hernias are a common condition in the United States and are typically treated through surgery with hernia mesh. Hernia mesh is a surgical product constructed of natural or synthetic materials intended to stabilize weakened or damaged tissues. While synthetic surgical mesh was introduced nearly fifty years ago, it became more prevalent in the late 1980s and 1990s. In the early 2000s, the use of surgical mesh grew significantly, but frequent reports of serious complications began to surface.
Hernia mesh may cause severe side effects including:
- Severe or chronic pain
- Infection
- Bowel blockage
- Tissue fusion
- Mesh migration
- Organ perforation
- Mesh shrinkage
- Hernia recurrence
- Skin rash
- Neurological Changes
In many cases, these hernia mesh side effects require surgery to remove the defective mesh, repair the original hernia and/or repair or reconstruct damaged tissues. Often times these surgeries don’t necessarily relieve all of the side effects and will increase the risk of complications for the patient and can also require lengthy recovery periods.
Many lawsuits have already been filed against hernia mesh manufactures.
Claims against two major hernia mesh manufacturers have already been consolidated into Multi-District Litigations (MDLs). Claims against Johnson & Johnson/Ethicon related to its Physiomesh products have been consolidated under MDL 2782, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia. Claims against Atrium over its C-Qur products have been consolidated under MDL 2753, U.S. District Court, District of New Hampshire.
In October of 2012, the FDA issued a warning to Atrium Medical, insisting the company to address serious complaints related to infections caused by their C-Qur mesh product.SinceAtrium Medical did not properly manage the issues, in 2013 the FDA announced a recall of the C-Qur Edge mesh.
In May of 2016, after a clinical study proved higher than normal rate of Physiomesh revision surgeries, an emergency safety alert was released by Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon division which withdrew its Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh products from the market. Be aware though, other Ethicon hernia mesh products are still currently available.
At HJVE Law, we are committed to holding drug and medical device manufacturers accountable when their products are defective and endanger the public. If your surgery involved a hernia mesh that has been recalled, or if you or a loved one has experienced negative side effects because of your hernia mesh surgery, our Louisville dangerous drugs attorneys can help. Contact our team for a free case evaluation today.