If you have suffered from a hernia, there is a chance that the doctor implanted hernia mesh to stabilize the tissue during the repair surgery. The problem, though, is that several manufacturers have produced hernia mesh products that are defective and cause even more serious injuries, including:
- Infection
- Severe pain
- Bowel perforation
- Bowel obstruction
- Mesh migration (meaning the mesh moves)
- Perforation of organs
- Tissue fusion
- Fluid formation
- Granuloma
- Adhesions
- Rejection of the mesh
If you suffer from any of these complications, the doctor may have to perform additional surgery on you, called a revision. This is the only way to properly treat the defect. Unfortunately, often times the mesh causes such serious damages that revision surgery is not safe. If this occurs, the injuries may not be able to be treated.
Many law firms around the country advertise that they handle mesh cases when in reality they will sign you up as a client and ship you off to another firm. At Snyder & Wenner, we handle all of our mesh cases in-house, meaning the attorneys and our staff work on every single case to prepare it for settlement. If you or a loved one has undergone surgery using hernia mesh, please contact us today to see if we can help.
While not all hernia mesh products are defective or dangerous, we are currently investigating claims against the following manufacturers (and products):
Bard
Bard is one of the largest manufacturers of mesh used to repair hernias. Unfortunately, they also have numerous products that are alleged to be faulty. One of those products, the Kugel Hernia Patch, was never FDA approved for effectiveness and safety. There were several recalls issued in 2005 and 2006, and then another wave of recalls occurred in 2007. The Ventralex Patch (including Ventralex ST) was a very common mesh product that has been alleged to cause significant problems.
| 3DMax Light | PerFix Plug |
| 3DMax | PerFix Light Plug |
| Marlex | Sepramesh IP |
| (Marlex) Mesh Dart | Sperma-Tex |
| Bard Mesh | Ventralex Patch |
| Composix | Ventralex ST Patch |
| Composix E/X | Ventralight ST |
| Composix L/P | Ventrio Patch |
| Composix Kugel Mesh | Ventrio ST |
| Kugel Hernia Patch | Visilex |
| Modified Kugel Patch |
Ethicon
Ethicon is a division of Johnson & Johnson, and makes a very popular product, the Physiomesh. In 2016, Ethicon issued an urgent field safety notice, which included a complete recall of the mesh product. It is estimated that more than 300,000 Ethicon mesh products have been implanted with Physiomesh.
| Physiomesh | |
| Proceed Surgical Mesh | Prolene |
| Proceed Ventral Patch | Prolene 3D |
Covidien/Medtronic
| Parietene DS Composite | Versatex Monofilament |
| Symbotex Composite | ProGrip Laparoscopic Self-Fixating |
| Parietex Composite Ventral Patch | Parietex ProGrip Self Fixating |
| Parietex Optimized Composite (PCOx) | Parietex Plug & Patch System |
| Parietex Optimized Composite Open Skirt (PCO OSx) | Parietex Composite (PCO) Parastomal |
| Parietex Composite Hiatal (PCO 2H) | Parietex Hydrophilic Anatomical |
| Parietex Folding | Parietex Lightweight Monofilament |
| Parietex Flat Sheet | Surgipro |
Atrium/Maquet
The Atrium C-Qur hernia mesh has been alleged to cause significant issues in patients. One of the problems it that the mesh is made with polypropylene plastic, which can cause the body to reject it. The mesh can also bind with the intestines and other organs, causing serious injuries. The C-Qur contains a flexible metal ring, which holds the mesh in a circular shape. This can lead to the mesh breaking and causing injuries. The C-Qur is also related to a high rate of infection.
C-Qur hernia mesh cases are being filed in the MDL in New Hampshire Federal Court, MDL # 2753. The MDL was created on December 8, 2016, and the allegation is that the C-Qur mesh is defectively designed or manufactured. Plaintiffs are also alleging that Atrium knew or should have known about the allergic and/or inflammatory responses caused by the C-Qur mesh, and that defendants failed to properly and adequately warn and/or instruct patients about potential problems. In terms of liability, the plaintiffs allege that the C-Qur product was never tested for safety or efficacy by the FDA. In fact, in 2012, the FDA issued a formal warning for C-Qur hernia mesh, and in 2013, more than 95,000 units were recalled. Despite this, no product was removed from the market. Following the recall, an FDA injunction was ordered in 2015. Since then, further research has revealed that the hernia mesh causes an increase in adhesions and infections in patients.
There are several injuries and complications caused by C-Qur hernia mesh, including:
- Organ perforation
- High rate of infection and rejection
- Chronic pain
- Obstruction of the bowel
- Further surgical intervention
- Issues caused by the foreign body
| C-Qur | ProLoop |
W.L. Gore
| Dualmesh | Dualmesh Plus |
| GoreTex |
There are certain risk factors that may make the hernia mesh even more dangerous. These risk factors include:
- Pregnancy
- Use in adolescents
- Obesity
- History of previous hernias
- History of surgery in the abdomen (such as c-sections, gastric bypass, and treatment for ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s Disease)
- Accidental or intentional opening of the gastrointestinal tract
- Acute injuries to the bowel area (such as from a car accident)
- Multiple surgeries at the same time
If you or a loved one has undergone surgery using hernia mesh, please call us today to see if we can help.