Hernia Mesh
The attorneys at Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault are investigating claims concerning hernia mesh, inserted into patients during surgery, Studies have found certain hernia meshes can cause serious complications including internal bleeding, chronic pain and serious infection.
Have you or anyone you experiencing complications that may be related to a hernia repair surgery that used hernia mesh? Find out if you can seek compensation for your injuries by completing our free case evaluation. You may be eligible to pursue compensation for your injuries and we can help you with the process.
Doctors often use hernia mesh, a surgical-grade woven biological or synthetic material, to repair various types of hernias. The use of surgical mesh in hernia repairs can improve patient outcomes by decreasing operation time, minimizing recovery time, and reducing the rate of recurrence. However, hernia mesh also poses considerable risk for serious complications, such as bowel obstruction and bleeding, and it can take years for complications to arise.
Various types of surgical mesh have been recalled, and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Safety Communication for this potentially harmful medical device. Patients have begun filing lawsuits nationwide against mesh manufacturers for their injuries.
If you are experiencing complications that may be related to a hernia repair surgery that used hernia mesh, call Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault Co., L.P.A. at 419-843-6663 for a free consultation and speak to one of our defective product attorneys about your case. You may be eligible to pursue compensation for your injuries and we can help you with the process.
What is the problem with hernia mesh?
Surgeons repair hundreds of thousands of inguinal hernias (the most common type of hernia, which develops in the groin) annually in the United States. The use of steel mesh and polypropylene mesh for hernia repairs has grown steadily since the 1980s and is now used in more than 90 percent of all hernia repair surgeries, explains the FDA.
The problem, according to patient, medical, and FDA reports, is that some surgical meshes can break down, shrink, or become dislodged and migrate, perforating surrounding tissues, causing obstructions, and leading to complications including:
- Internal bleeding
- Chronic pain
- Serious infections
- Severe damage to the abdomen and intestines
- Non-healing wounds
- Abscesses
- Edema and fluid buildup
- Fistulas (i.e., where organs fuse together)
How common are hernia mesh complications?
Hernia mesh complications are common enough to warrant extensive medical research, recalls, and lawsuits. Danish medical researchers studied 3,242 patients who underwent hernia repair surgery and published their findings in the October 2016 issue of JAMA. The researchers found that surgeries using mesh had a lower rate of recurrence, but that “a risk of long-term mesh-related complications for open and laparoscopic mesh repairs partially offset these benefits.”
Some of the patients required additional surgeries due to mesh complications. The adverse reaction reports have been so common and the risks so considerable that the FDA has recalled several types of surgical mesh used in hernia repair surgeries including the Bard Davol Composix Kugel Mesh and TIGR Matrix Surgical Mesh. Thousands of victims have filed lawsuits against mesh manufacturers for complications with:
- Ethicon Inc. Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh
- Atrium Medical Corp’s C-Qur Hernia Mesh Patch
- R. Bard’s Sepramesh
- R. Bard’s Ventralex ST Hernia Patch
- R. Bard’s 3DMAX Mesh
How do I know if I have a hernia mesh case I can pursue?
When patients are harmed because of defective or unreasonably dangerous medical devices such as hernia mesh, they retain the right to pursue compensation for their losses via an injury claim. The first step in determining eligibility is to review your case with one of our attorneys. If you are in the hospital or otherwise unable to get to our office, we can come to you or discuss your case over the phone.
After hearing your story, we will begin investigating the facts of the case, obtain your medical records, and determine which mesh product was used during your surgery. It may be under recall or there may be existing patient complaints regarding the product. Once we know who the manufacturer (defendant) is, we can determine whether your case meets all the essential criteria of a product liability claim. Below are the three primarily elements we need to establish:
The product was defective: The product was unreasonably dangerous or defective. Proving your mesh broke down or migrated will likely prove it was defective.
You can also hold a doctor liable for failing to properly warn of the dangers, failing to have an adequate process for reviewing patients’ complications, and failing to include proper surgical or aftercare instructions.
The product caused your injury: We can obtain testimony from independent medical experts that prove “causation,” which means that your injuries were caused by the defective mesh and not some other factor.
You suffered damages from the defective product: You sustained actual compensable injuries from the hernia mesh.
What types of damages can I recover in my hernia mesh claim? You can seek recovery for all your physical, emotional, and financial losses associated with your hernia mesh complications. This may include:
- Medical bills and additional corrective surgeries
- Loss of wages and disability
If you or anyone you know has experienced complications from hernia mesh, you may be entitled to compensation. The Hernia Mesh Attorneys at Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault are dedicated to ensuring medical devicecompanies are held responsible for the dangerous side effects of their products. Call our Actos Attorneys at Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault or fill out the free case evaluation. We want to help you.
