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Hernia mesh repair device failures are under scrutiny in the United States and worldwide as complications associated with their implantation continue to emerge. Used predominantly by doctors to patch abdominal and groin hernias, many of the surgical meshes are now known to shrink, migrate throughout the body, adversely come into contact with the bowel or other organs—or simply deteriorate to the point of falling apart.

Regardless of numerous patients complaining of ongoing side effects, the hernia repair device market continues to grow. It is projected to be a nearly $10 billion global industry by 2025, as hernia repair is among the most common surgeries with over 1 million repair procedures performed annually in the U.S. It is no wonder that thousands of hernia mesh lawsuits currently await decision in both state and federal courts.

Currently, the majority of surgeries that are repaired with some form of hernia mesh fall can be categorized as one of several types of hernia: inguinal (groin), ventral (abdominal wall) or incisional (past surgical site). Such common repairs shouldn’t pose too many post-operative issues, yet many studies put the complication rate at 12 percent or higher. Dr. Robert Bendavid, a founding member and past president of the American Hernia Society—a professional organization that offers education and resources to surgeons, claims that such a rate is unacceptably high. “If the various meshes were as safe as the industry claims them to be, why are there hundreds of thousands of patients involved in class actions resulting in billions of dollars in fines?”, he recently asked in an article published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

Painful, lifelong complications from hernia surgeries gone wrong can haunt patients for years—oftentimes suffering as medical professionals are unable to diagnose the cause of their problems. For anyone who has had a hernia mesh implanted in order to repair a hernia, the following symptoms could indicate a mesh failure, migration or rejection:

  • Difficulty passing stool or urinating
  • Pain, discomfort or swelling in the abdomen or groin
  • Excessive pain, heat, bruising near surgical site
  • High fever, nausea or vomiting
  • A noticeable lump near or around original hernia site

If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms or you’ve had a hernia repair surgery and not sure whether a mesh device was used, you might want to consult with an attorney who is experienced in medical device failures. They can not only help you determine your best course of action in a legal sense, but also help educate you as to the risks, the dangers, and the potential solutions for the implantation of such failure-prone devices.

2 Comments

  1. Gravatar for Roger Kelly
    Roger Kelly

    I have had two surgeries on a umbilical hernias using mesh, one back in 2009 and the other at the beginning of 2016 with the latter having the stitches pop and i had to have a third operation to fix that. For a little while I felt better but within a few months I started to feel bloating and pressure near the area that was operated on and belly region which then became as regular feeling for me to this day. I have felt tired and have no energy and I never felt like that before I had mesh to repair my hernia. Now I have noticed some problems with my urine flow where I feel like I cant push the urine out fast then at other times it seems to come right again and my bowels play up from time to time with constipation. I get pains especially if I have eaten a dinner around the hernia area or mesh implant area as my tummy gets full. The mesh obviously cant stretch so i go through discomfort until my food digests. Now I have found a new bulge around the same area and a doctor has again diagnosed a new umbilical hernia where it has found a new area around the same region to come out so this will be my third time having to get this problematic thing fixed. I don't really want a mesh fix and wish that they could fix it with other techniques removing my old mesh that is already implanted causing me health issues. My health has gone down hill after my mesh implants. I never feel great. I am in Auckland, New Zealand and don't know who to turn to about this in my country but i know that this is a World wide issue, so thought I'd share.

  2. Gravatar for Lynn Dougall
    Lynn Dougall

    I have ventral hernia mesh and doctors in Manitoba just don't listen to the issues I have. I have felt very nauseous for the past 2 weeks. I am not sure if a doctor at walkin will listen.

    I have been told the pain is in my head and at emerge they think I am a drug addict, which couldn't be further from the truth

    I need help please

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