Thousands of women have been implanted with vaginal mesh to treat their pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. Pelvic organ prolapse occurs as the result of relaxation of the muscles and tissue that holds in the bowels, reproductive organs, and bladder, causing one or more of the pelvic organs to drop or press into the vagina. Common risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse include vaginal childbirth, aging, hormonal changes, and long-term pressure on the abdomen. Genetics may also play a role in a woman’s risk for prolapse.
Urinary incontinence is the uncontrollable loss of urine. There are several causes for urinary incontinence, including damage or changes to the nerves and muscles in the pelvic floor. There are several life events unique to women which may lead to weakened pelvic floor or nerve damage, including childbirth, pregnancy and menopause. As a result, twice as many women as men are affected by urinary incontinence.
For most vaginal mesh implants, very little research was done before various companies began selling these devices to physicians and hospitals. Vaginal mesh has been linked to several complications, including:
Some vaginal mesh devices can also cause nerve damage, leading to groin and leg pain, and tingling or numbness in the legs. Unfortunately, when surgery is required to remove defective vaginal mesh devices, additional complications and injuries can further result. If vaginal mesh has caused you severe injuries, a proactive attorney from the BGAN Law team could help obtain compensation.
Compensation may be available to you for your vaginal mesh injuries. In many cases, vaginal mesh injuries can lead to physical and emotional trauma, as well as financial hardship. A competent BGAN Law attorney could help recover fair compensation for damages caused by surgical mesh.
Medical care for vaginal mesh injuries can be costly. Additionally, it may be difficult to find physicians skilled in treatment and care for these complications. Many injuries can require lifelong treatment or medications. Receiving monetary compensation can help relieve the financial stress of past and continued care.
Injuries from vaginal mesh are often extremely painful. This pain can be short-lived or may continue for a woman’s entire life. Vaginal mesh presents a unique and complex pain in many women, making it difficult to treat. In many instances, this pain would not have occurred if not for the defective mesh devices.
Surgical mesh-related injuries can negatively impact a person’s prospects for employment or ability to continue on in their current job. If a patient is forced to miss work due to their injuries, it could be possible to recover financial compensation for their lost wages and future earnings.
The emotional harm that can result from vaginal mesh injuries can be as equally debilitating as the physical injuries. So-called “non-economic” damages like this are harder to calculate because there are no specific values related to the pain and stress of vaginal mesh injuries. Additionally, because of the personal and private nature of these complications, many women suffer in silence, unaware that there are thousands of women just experiencing the same injuries.