Hernia surgeries are quite common in the United States. Almost 500,000 hernia surgeries occur every year. If you’ve had a device implanted in you to repair a hernia, it’s vital you understand the problems that arise. Many patients experience complications after having hernia mesh implanted in their body.
What is a Hernia?
A hernia happens in the wall of your abdomen and is called either a ventral or abdominal hernia.
A hernia can happen in an incision site from a previous operation and is called an incisional hernia.
If your hernia is in your groin area, it’s referred to as an inguinal hernia.
If a hernia erupts where your stomach and esophagus meet it’s referred to as a hiatal hernia.
Several specific products are generally used in hernia repair surgeries. These have fallen under scrutiny because of the side effects and complications that have been occurring with many patients.
How Are the Devices Used in a Hernia Operation?
There are many ways a hernia can be repaired. Manufacturers such s Gore Medical, Ethicon, and Davol have all made variations of devices that are used to repair hernias.
There are two groups of these types of devices: biologic and synthetic.
Biologic Devices: These are made from human tissue such as skin from cadavers, and pigskin.
Synthetic Devices: These are human-made products and can be made of substances like polyester filaments, composites, polypropylene, or ePTFE membranes.
What Are Some of the Complications Due to Hernia Mesh Products?
Some of the injuries reported by patients with hernia mesh implants include:
- Abdominal ulcers
- Perforation of their internal organs
- Bowel obstructions
- Erosion and Failure of the hernia mesh
- Renal Failure
- Fistulas in their intestines
- Allergic reactions
The hernia mesh injuries are arising out of specific mesh products that include:
- Atrium C-Qur: This device was permanently stopped by the Food and Drug Administration who demanded that the production of this product be halted.
- Bard Ventralex ST: There have been reports of problems with the synthetic mesh product produced by Bard. The transvaginal mesh did come with Food and Drug Administration warnings attached, but the hernia repair product has no notices at this time.
- Ethicon Physlomesh: Several studies showed that this product had a higher than average amount of hernias reoccurring. The product was voluntarily removed from the market by the manufacturer.
What Are the Lawsuits Involving Physiomesh?
There are currently three different cases that have been filed against Physiomesh in the United States Federal Court. The product, Ethicon, Physiomesh, has been removed from the market. Ethicon has claimed they didn’t have their product recalled, but on May 2016 it was removed from the market.
Studies showed a higher than average rate of complications in cases where Physiomesh was used to repair a hernia. Additionally, Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, was bombarded with multiple lawsuits for Physiomesh.
What are the Complications with Physiomesh?
Studies have shown a direct link between Physiomesh and severe complications including bowel obstructions, seromas, that are pockets of fluid that can develop in your body after surgery, and other device failures that may result in you being seriously injured or die.
Due to the weakness of the product, a patient might have to undergo another surgery to repair tears or stabilize the mesh after it became loose.
Do I Have a Claim Against My Hernia Device Manufacturer?
Like other surgeries, there’s no guarantee that hernia surgery will repair the problem you are experiencing. However, if the hernia mesh device that was implanted into your body malfunctions and resulted in another operation, you may have a claim for product liability against the manufacturer.
It’s essential that you find out what device was used in your hernia repair surgery. You can contact the surgeon’s office or the hospital where you had your medicine and get a copy of your medical records. Be sure they include the product number that identifies precisely what hernia mesh product was implanted inside you.
Once that’s established, you need to have another doctor examine your injuries, and they need to determine that your injuries were caused by the hernia mesh product and whether the product was defective.
You and your attorney will need to be able to show that the injuries you suffered were directly or indirectly caused by a defective product
If you or a loved one has suffered from side effects or complications after the hernia mesh implant was placed within the body to repair a hernia, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries.
The South Carolina attorneys at the Jeffcoat Firm will help you go through all your damages, and help you get back on your feet. Let us protect your rights and be a strong advocate for you. It’s essential that you don’t wait to file your claim, and The Jeffcoat Firm will review your case as soon as you come into our office for a free consultation.
