Our Boston transvaginal mesh attorneys understand for women who are victims of defective Transvaginal Mesh (TVM) products, the impact can be devastating and hard for others to comprehend. According to a news article from The Claiborne Progress, one TVM patient has joined a support group run by a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and help TVM victims.
The woman interviewed stated that mesh ruined her life. She had a TVM implanted that was defective. The following year, the manufacturer stopped making the product, but there was not much she could do at that point.
About six months after Transvaginal Mesh surgery, she started to experience problems with the implant. Her doctor told her that the mesh had eroded into her bladder after tearing through the vaginal wall. The polypropylene mesh used in her operation has been proven toxic to humans.
She can no longer move without pain, and is now incontinent, and must have the mesh removed. However, removal is a complicated process, as the device must carefully be explanted in pieces over several operations. She already had multiple operations to remove all but two small edges of the transvaginal mesh. Her doctor chose to leave these small pieces in for as long as possible, because they will be dangerous to remove. She knew that she would eventually need them removed, but it was decided that she should wait.
However, now one of those small edges of mesh has perforated her vaginal wall and must be removed.
While it is a soft, flexible mesh when implanted, it becomes rigid over time and can tear and perforate surrounding organs. A surgeon quoted in the article said the device is a breeding ground for bacteria, and in violation of accepted surgical safety protocols. He notes that medical devices that are made to be implanted should be made out of an inert material that will not allow bacteria to grow.
As the article also noted, while we obviously see defective TVM as a problem that affects women, men can be victims of the mesh, because it has also been used in hernia repair operations.
If you have had a TVM implant that has gone wrong, you should speak to an attorney who regularly handles these types of cases. As we have seen, juries across the country are agreeing that manufacturers of these defective products should be required to compensate victims and their families.
The types of damages we typically see are pain and suffering, lost wages, and past and future medical expenses, as well as loss of consortium for the plaintiff’s spouse. Loss of consortium essentially means that the victim can no longer engage in an intimate relationship with her spouse or partner as a result of the damage done by a defective TVM implant. The spouse can join the lawsuit as a second plaintiff and make a claim for loss of consortium damages. In one recent case the jury awarded $200,000 in loss of consortium damages.
If you are the victim of a defective product in Boston, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Nonprofit helps mesh sufferers, September 18, 2014, The Claiborne Progress
More Blog Entries:
Boston Scientific Ordered to Pay $73 Million to Transvaginal Mesh Plaintiffs, September 16, 2014, Boston Products Liability Attorneys Blog