Stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse are two conditions that are common for menopausal women to experience. Both are also commonly treated with the help of a medical device known as a transvaginal mesh, or TVM. Unfortunately, the use of TVM often leads to increasingly severe complications. TVM can cause so many problems that it may require multiple surgeries to correct. An Illinois TVM lawsuit attorney from Attorney Group for Illinois may be able to provide help to women who are dealing with the severe complications often experienced following a transvaginal mesh surgical procedure.
If you suffered severe complication after receiving transvaginal mesh for health issues, contact Attorney Group for Illinois for more information. We offer a free consultation in which we can help you learn your options. Your call is confidential and without any obligation on your part. If you have case and chose to pursue it, we can connect you with an affiliated TVM lawsuit attorney in Illinois or another state.
What is Transvaginal Mesh?
Transvaginal mesh is a type of medical device that is implanted into a woman’s pelvic area to provide support and relieve pressure on the bladder that is seen in connection with pelvic prolapse associated with menopause. The mesh is made of an artificial net-like material. To implant the device, doctors insert the mesh through the vagina and affixed to the lining of the vaginal wall.
The main goal of TVM is to keep the internal organs where they belong. However, over time the mesh can lose it shape and cause further prolapse and additional problems. The mesh often fails because of the artificial material that are used to manufacture the implant. These materials are more difficult for the body to integrate, and so the implants fail.
How Does Transvaginal Mesh Work?
Patients who are going through menopause are those who most often receive a TVM implant. This is because menopause can lead to a significant weakening of the muscles in and around the vagina. When this occurs, the internal organs around the vagina begin to sag, sometime severely. Transvaginal mesh can help correct the condition by acting as a support for the internal organs, slinging them in place. This also decreases additional pressure on other organs as associated with organ prolapse. TVM is also often used to treat bladder control issues caused by increased pressure on the bladder due to organ prolapse.
Placement of transvaginal mesh implants is usually not an invasive procedure. However, in some instances doctors do choose to go through the abdomen instead of the vagina for implantation. This causes an increased recovery time with additional pain, so most doctors choose to insert the device vaginally. This may also prevent additional side effects from occurring.
Risk of Injury
Transvaginal mesh treatment is associated with many side effects of varying severity, some of which have resulted in lawsuits. Roughly 10 percent of patients who have received the treatment report at least one complication of any severity. A TVM lawsuit lawyer may see injured women who have the most serious side effects, the most serious of which is perforation of the internal organs. When this happens, the bladder, uterus or rectum could be punctured and permanently damaged.
The perforation usually occurs after the TVM has lost its shape. When the device loses its shape and is not properly integrated into the body as it is designed, its rough edges can cause severe damage to any tissue with which it comes into contact. This can cause such extensive damage that it requires surgery to correct. In the most extreme cases, the damage can be so severe that patients require multiple surgeries to find relief of their symptoms. When the mesh fails and is not treated, it can cause debilitating illness and even death. Any complications that arise require additional surgery to remove the device.
Other Transvaginal Mesh Side-Effects
The use of TVM is associated with other side effects. These include the following:
- Infection and unexplained bleeding
- Urinary problems, such as incontinence or bladder control issues
- Painful intercourse and a resulting lower quality of life
In cases where tissue has grown around the implant, multiple surgeries are often required to undo the damage. Each surgery a patient must undergo greatly increases her risk of infection and further injury. These side effects were enough to compel the US. Food and Drug Administration to issue a warning in 2011 on the use of TVM.
Injured Patients May Be Entitled to Compensation
Medical device makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their devices, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a device maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable for injuries that may result.
Patients who are injured by TVM may be entitled to compensation for damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- The permanency of the injury
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of income or ability to work
If a patient dies from complications related to defective transvaginal mesh, family members may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of a loved one prior to death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from the loss of a loved one
- Funeral expenses
Patients who have suffered severe complications from TVM, as well as the families of those who have died as a result of complications with the device, are encouraged to seek the advice of a Illinois TVM lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
Contact Us For More Information
If you or a loved one suffered severe complications from transvaginal mesh, contact Attorney Group for Illinois for more information. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at the number listed at the top of the page, or email us at info@attorneygroup.com.
When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information, and contact Attorney Group for Illinois today.
