Transvaginal Mesh and Its Mess

Problems of the urethra-genital area often occur after childbirth, medical research says. Bladder prolapse is one of them. The bladder is the hollow organ in the body that holds urine before it is excreted. The bladder is being supported by the vaginal wall. After giving birth, the woman’s vaginal wall loosens. By the time she reaches menopause, her vaginal wall may not be able to support her bladder anymore. This would lead to bladder prolapse. 

 

Sudden urinary incontinence or SUI is also a problem. Uncontrolled release of urine occurs when a person exerts effort like lifting or sneezing. Menopause and too much strain on the pelvis may be one of the reasons for this problem. Up to 40% of women who suffers SUI have sought medical help and most adult women have encountered this problem once. Weakened vaginal walls cal also cause bowel prolapse. It is often caused by giving birth, ageing and straining. Straining is often painful when a person is constipated. Vaginal hernia may also be caused by surgery. 

 

By far these three are the main reasons for women to undergo operation. In order to support the vaginal wall, a surgeon will insert a transvaginal mesh. A transvaginal mesh implant helps prevent the recurrence of vaginal prolapse. Since its introduction in the late 1950s, there have been a number of various complaints. Most of the pains patients felt occur after surgery. They thought that it was only due to the surgery but stayed longer even if the wound was already healed. 

 

It was only after different researches were conducted that they pinpointed the mesh to be the cause. A warning was issued in 2008 by the Food and Drug Administration due to the persistent bad reviews of this surgical process. Studies documented the occurrence of infection around the area where the mesh was implanted. The infection may have been due to the corrosion of the mesh through the tissue. Sexual intercourse is also painful, patients say. In other operations the bowel, bladder or blood vessels have been punctured, causing several complications. 

 

Severe reactions from the transvaginal mesh after operation such as pelvic organ prolapse are encouraged by the FDA to be reported. The manufacturer has already been facing lawsuits against the recipients of the mesh. One of the complainants, a woman who had three operations before knowing that the problem was due to the mesh, lodged a lawsuit against the manufacturer. Recipients are looking for compensation for all the pain that they have experienced due to the mesh.