Hernia Mesh Lawsuits

LK has previously alerted readers to the dangers of hernia mesh products. Recent warnings indicate that the use of hernia mesh may lead to severe complications. Over the past 15 years, recalls by manufacturers and warnings by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been issued due to claims of defective design and deceptive marketing. Adverse events associated with hernia mesh include hernia recurrence, organ perforation, adhesions, migration, infection, and revision surgery.
 

The Use of Mesh Products in Hernia Surgeries

Hernias have a high risk of relapse following surgery. Hernia mesh is used in repair surgery to reduce the chances that the hernia will recur. In addition, hernia mesh surgery has been known to lead to better recovery outcomes than other treatment options.

Mesh products include patches, plugs, and sheets. Different types of mesh interact with the body in various ways. These include: absorbable mesh (which provides short-term reinforcement to the hernia), non-absorbable mesh (which is a permanent implant), synthetic mesh, animal derived mesh, and coated mesh (which may cause the intestines to adhere to the material).

Manufacturers Producing Hernia Mesh

Hernia mesh is made and distributed by several manufacturers, including medical device manufacturers. The following are some of the largest manufacturers and their hernia mesh products:

• Atrium – C-QUR, Vitamesh, Proloop, Prolite, Prolite Ultra Q
• Bard – 3DMax, AlloMaxBard Soft Mesh, Bard Mesh Sheets, Composix, Dulex, Kugel, Keyhole, MK Patch, Marlex, OnFlex, PerFix Plug, Phasix Mesh, Sepramesh IP Composite, Ventralex, Ventralight, Ventrio, Visilex, XenMatrix Surgical Graft
• Braun – Premilene, Omyra, Optilene
• Covidien (including Medtronic, Tyco, U.S. Surgical) – Parietex, Surgipro, Symbotex
• Ethicon – FlexHD Structural, Physiomesh, Proceed, Prolene, Ultrapure, Ultrapure Advanced, Vicky, XCM Biologic, PHS (Prolene Hernia System)
• Gore Medical – Bio-A, Dual Mesh, Micromesh, Gore-Tex Soft Tissue Patch, Sinecure
• LifeCell Corporation – Alloderm Select, Strattice
• Medtronic – Parietex, Permacol, ProGrip, Symbotex, Versatex
• TELA Bio – OviTex

Dangers of Hernia Mesh

Even though the rate of recurrence is relatively low in mesh repair surgeries, the FDA has warned that there are circumstances where surgical mesh in hernia surgery is contraindicated. A study in JAMA Surgery in 2016 found that hernia mesh complications increased in the five years following mesh repair surgery in a number of patients. These complications include infection, bowel obstruction, organ perforation, mesh failure, and device migration or shrinkage. Between 2005 and 2016, over 200,000 units of hernia mesh were either recalled or voluntarily withdrawn. The FDA has published reports of bowel obstruction and perforation in patients who received recalled hernia mesh products, some of which continue to be available on the market.

Lawsuits against hernia mesh manufacturers claim that mesh products are defectively designed and have caused injuries that were avoidable if other mesh products or sutures had been used. Manufacturers have also been accused of marketing hernia mesh products for repairing smaller hernias that could otherwise be repaired through laparoscopic surgery.

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/implants-and-prosthetics/hernia-surgical-mesh-implants

Contact our Hernia Mesh Lawyers to review whether you or a family member may be entitled to financial compensation. Levy Konigsberg LLP is currently accepting Hernia Mesh cases in all 50 states. If you or a loved one has suffered from complications after Hernia Mesh repair, you may be entitled to a cash award and compensation for medical expenses. For a free and confidential consultation with Hernia Mesh Lawyers at our law firm, please call 1-800-988-8005 or submit an email inquiry above.