With the many advancements in modern medicine, there have been a number of breakthroughs in the world of gynecology and women's health. Conditions that once plagued women for years with no relief can now be remedied in fairly easy ways, allowing women to live healthy, active, normal lives without certain worries. Today, thousands of women all across the United States turn to their doctors to help them with a number of issues and concerns. They put a great deal of faith and trust into their doctors and the products and procedures that are recommended. In turn, doctors and medical professionals place a great deal of trust in the hands of the manufacturers who make the products recommended to patients.
One product that showed a great deal of promise for helping women suffering with female stress urinary incontinence was vaginal mesh. This product is also known as obtape, or a vaginal sling, and was just the item to help thousands of women in need. Unfortunately, while many doctors believed in and trusted the claims of this product, it did not live up to its promises and many women experienced terrible side effects that could have and should have been avoided. In these cases, the manufacturer of the product was negligent due to creating a defective product and can be held liable for injuries that were a result of using the mesh.
For the three year period ranging from 2003 to 2006 more than thirty five thousand women sought treatment for the condition of female stress urinary incontinence by having vaginal mesh implanted. This mesh was created to help support the pelvic muscles at the urethra and bladder that have weakened, in order to help stop the involuntary leakage. Because of a defect in the design, the mesh ended up being manufactured with a non-woven material that prevented oxygen and nutrients from being able to flow through, which in turn led to serious complications. These complications cropped up in the treated women months or years following the procedure. In October of 2006, the Journal of Urology published a study that found more than thirteen percent of women who received the mesh implants to help with their incontinence issues suffered vaginal extrusions. There were also several cases of women receiving the mesh implants that experienced abscesses and chronic vaginal discharge. After this study was released, a number of doctors and medical facilities ceased using the mesh.
The FDA issued a letter to healthcare providers in October of 2008 that reported more than one thousand reports of adverse reactions from surgical mesh manufacturers over the course of the previous three years. These complications were reported from mesh that was implanted transvaginally in order to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and pelvic organ prolapsed (POP). The complications that were the most frequently reported included: infection, recurrence of incontinence and/or prolapsed, erosion of the mesh, erosion through the vaginal epithelium, pain and discomfort that can be severe, urinary problems, vaginal scarring, and perforation of the bladder, blood vessels, or bowel during insertion.
These serious complications require prompt medical treatment in order to repair the damage that has been done, and help to prevent further damage from occurring. Common treatments include draining of abscesses, blood transfusions, further surgeries to remove the implanted mesh, and IV therapy. It is not known if certain patients are more at risk for complications than others, but there are a number of factors that can contribute to extrusion and erosion of the implant. These factors include the material of the mesh that is used, incompatibility, bacterial infection, the placement of the mesh, and attachment of the mesh to a moveable structure. Implants that are made out of excessively woven material or solid material have a higher rate of complications than proper mesh devices. This is because the material is not porous enough to allow the capillaries and tissues to grow through in order for the body to fully incorporate them.
The FDA has issued warnings to doctors to be on the lookout for the potential for adverse reactions and to provide patients with the information necessary to educate them as to the chance of serious side effects and complications. These complications can drastically impact the quality of life for patients and symptoms can include: pelvic pain, high fever, chronic infections, vaginal pain, pain that can be severe in the hips, legs, and back, perineal cellulitis, and pain during intercourse.
If you or someone you know has experienced side effects or complications because of a vaginal mesh surgery, it is important that you seek prompt medical attention in order to have the damage minimized. Once you have had your medical needs addressed, you should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to help protect your legal rights.
Medical device manufacturers owe consumers a certain duty of care to provide products that are safe and effective and will not cause harm. When this duty is breached, it is important to hold the manufacturer accountable so that they not only pay for your injuries and expenses, but also so that other innocent people do not fall victim to the same consequences.
When bringing forth a law suit against a product manufacturer, you should not attempt to file on your own. These cases can be quite complex and hinge on many small details. Missing just one detail or not complying with a statute of limitation can cost you your chance at obtaining compensation for your injuries.
A personal injury attorney who specializes in the area of product liability and/or defective products knows the in and outs of the law and will handle every aspect of your case. From collecting medical records, interviewing professionals, and dealing with the legal representatives for the manufacturer, you can rest assured your case is being handled with the utmost care. Since most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, you do not have to worry about funding your claim upfront. This means you have nothing to lose, but so much to gain.
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