Hernias are a common medical condition in which tissue or organs become squeezed in a small hole in the muscle. Typically, hernias occur in the abdomen and are classified based on exactly where the hernia occurs. Because it’s so common, you might logically assume the surgical treatment of hernias is a simple procedure with few side-effects. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical companies have cut corners in their hernia mesh research. Faulty hernia mesh has plagued unsuspecting patients for years now. Is your hernia mesh brand under recall?
How Does Hernia Mesh Work?
Because hernias are an internal problem affecting your body’s function, surgical treatment is often the only way to correct them. While laparoscopic surgery is available now, many hernias are severe enough to warrant open repair. Most surgeons perform open repairs using hernia mesh. Non-mesh repairs have only a 10% share of the total surgical load, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Surgeons adhere the mesh to the internal wall of the muscle, closing the hole and strengthening the area.
Animal-derived surgical mesh provides temporary support. This variety is absorbable and relies upon the body’s natural tissue-building processes to strengthen the area. However, most hernia surgeries utilize synthetic mesh that serves as a permanent medical implant. Despite their promises of permanent hernia support, some large corporations that produce synthetic hernia mesh have been criticized for providing subpar, dangerous implants to surgeons and patients across the country.
Companies like Bard, Ethicon, and Atrium have all been involved in lawsuits over the past 15 years regarding the defective construction and lackadaisical research of their hernia mesh products. Only two of the three issued a hernia mesh recall. Patients who received hernia mesh from these companies reported a wide variety of dangerous, life-threatening side effects. These include: chronic pain at the hernia site, total mesh failure and recurrence, adhesion to nearby tissue and organs, organ blockages, and even bowel perforation.
How Do I Know If There’s a Hernia Mesh Recall for My Brand?
Of course, the best time to figure out if your hernia mesh has a recall is before it’s been implanted. However, keeping an eye on both how you are feeling and the medical implant news is the next best thing. If you received an open repair surgery involving hernia mesh, it’s important to stay abreast of the latest recalls.
Patients can check watchdog websites like DrugWatch for succinct information on hernia mesh recalls. You can also consult the FDA’s website for more details, especially if you are reporting dangerous hernia mesh side effects.
What Do I Do If I Discover a Hernia Mesh Recall?
If you have not yet had surgery and you discover their preferred mesh is under recall, immediately notify your medical care provider. Under no circumstances should a doctor or surgeon be using recalled mesh.
If you discover your hernia mesh is under recall after your surgery, it’s time to talk about removal with your doctor, especially if you’ve been suffering from negative side effects since your surgery. Ideally, your doctor will hear the news of a recall even before you do. But don’t wait to talk to your doctor until companies issue a recall. If you’ve noticed negative symptoms since your surgery, discuss their treatment with your care provider and determine if your hernia mesh could be the problem. If so, make a report to the FDA so they can begin their investigation.
You Deserve Recovery for Your Pain and Suffering.
Patients often feel alone and betrayed when their medical care does not deliver on promises due to dangerous faulty implants and medical products. Even though hernias are so common, patients are still struggling with the seemingly uphill fight against poorly researched and defective hernia mesh. But you don’t have to do it alone. The experienced Medical Devices & Pharmaceuticals attorneys of McCune Wright Arevalo, LLP, have dedicated their careers to bringing negligent medical companies to justice and seeking recovery for wronged patients.
If you have received a hernia mesh implant that you have discovered is under recall or believe your hernia mesh is causing your negative symptoms, contact us today or call (909) 345-8110.