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What is Hernia Mesh?

Hernia mesh is an implant that is surgically placed in the body to provide support for weakened or damaged tissue. These medical devices are implanted across the area surrounding the hernia. Surgeons use hernia mesh implants to help hold damaged tissue together and strengthen it while it heals.

Most surgical mesh devices that are available to patients are made from synthetic materials or animal tissue. The implants that are constructed from synthetic materials are either knitted mesh or non-knitted sheets. Animal tissue implants use the intestines or skin of animals that have been disinfected and processed for safe use.

Hernia Mesh Linked to Complications

Thousands that have had medical mesh used for their hernia surgeries are reporting side effects and complications.

Hernia Mesh Side Effects

  • Chronic Pain
  • Infection
  • Hernia Recurrence
  • Adhesion (scar-like tissue that sticks tissues together)
  • Bowel Obstruction (blockage of the large or small intestine)
  • Bowel Perforation (a hole near organs or tissues)
  • Hernia Mesh Rejection
  • Hernia Mesh Migration
  • Hernia Recurrence
  • Fistula Formation (abnormal connection between intestines, vessels, or organs)
  • Seroma (fluid build-up near the surgical area)

Hernia Mesh Lawsuit Claims

  • Manufacturers have failed to warn patients and doctors of the harmful side effects linked to their defective medical devices.
  • Manufacturers sold a medical device that did not perform as was intended by the companies.
  • Manufacturers sold a medical device that was the direct reason for revision surgery.
  • Manufacturers designed a defective and unsafe medical device.

Hernia Mesh Manufacturers

  • C.R. Bard
  • Ethicon/Johnson & Johnson
  • Atrium Medical Corp
  • Gore Medical

Hernia Mesh Lawsuit

C.R. Bard, Ethicon, and Atrium Medical Corp. are all under fire for personal injury lawsuits involving their defective hernia mesh products. These manufacturers have a responsibility to design medical devices that are safe for patients. When it was discovered that one of these companies sold defective hernia mesh devices, they had to issue a recall. By this time, there are usually thousands of innocent people who have already used their defective products for their hernia surgery and have suffered severe health complications. This has resulted in numerous lawsuits being filed. Those who were harmed have the option to demand compensation to pay for medical bills and personal injuries caused by hernia mesh complications.

Cases involving the hernia mesh Physiomesh are progressing towards trial. They are part of multi-district litigation in the Northern District of Georgia. This follows a recall of the hernia mesh made by Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The product was recalled because the mesh frequently failed and required additional surgeries to replace the mesh or to repair the hernia. Currently, bellwether cases are proceeding through the discovery phases of the trial. The cases are about to enter the expert phase where information is obtained from scientific experts regarding their opinion of the product that will be introduced at trial. The bellwether cases are scheduled to begin going to trial in December 2019. Once the initial case concludes, there will be an additional ten cases selected from the multi-district pool that will then proceed to trial. When a defendant is unsuccessful during the bellwether phase of the litigation, it gives them an impetus to settle the rest of the lawsuits that they face.

2011

C.R. Bard agreed to pay over $200 million to settle 3,000 cases over their Kugel Mesh implant.

2015

Boston Scientific agreed to pay a $100 million settlement to a woman who was injured by their transvaginal mesh device.

2016

Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay a $120 million settlement to resolve 2,000 to 3,000 lawsuits over their vaginal mesh implants.

December 2016

A panel of federal judges established a Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2753) in the District of New Hampshire to consolidate hernia mesh lawsuits against Atrium Medical Corp.

2017

Ethicon was ordered to pay $20 million to settle lawsuits over their TVT-Secu transvaginal mesh.

June 2017

A panel of federal judges established a Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2782) in the Northern District of Georgia to consolidate hernia mesh lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon, Inc.

2018

Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $35 million to settle lawsuits over their Prolift pelvic mesh.

August 2018

A panel of federal judges established a Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2846) in the Southern District of Ohio to consolidate hernia mesh lawsuits against C. R. Bard and Davol Inc.

2019

Patricia and George Mesigian were awarded $80 million in their Ethicon Prolift Pelvic mesh lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson.

References

FDA. “Hernia Surgical Mesh Implants”, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Accessed February 21, 2019.

FDA. “Hernia Surgical Mesh Implants: Information for Patients”, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hernia-surgical-mesh-implants/hernia-surgical-mesh-implants-information-patients. Accessed February 21, 2019.

P. Sahle Griffith. “Rejection of goretex mesh used in prosthetic cruroplasty: A case series”, Internation Journal of Surgery, Accessed February 21, 2019.

UCI Health. “Is surgical mesh safe for my hernia surgery?“, UCI Health, Accessed April 29, 2019.

Randy L. Gori. “Hernia Mesh Lawsuits”, Consumer Safety, Accessed February 21, 2019.

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