What Types of Hernia Mesh Products Can Be Hazardous To Your Health?

Modern medicine is constantly making amazing advances in medications, treatments and surgical procedures. While the science and technology inventions and innovations have been an incredible benefit to society, there are still many things that can be done better.

Hernia mesh devices: A problematic product

For example, patients who have hernia repair surgery may experience serious complications due to an implanted hernia repair mesh device. There are several types of hernia mesh products that have been used in recent years — ranging from mesh patches and mesh sheets to woven and permanent mesh — and some of these products have caused major issues for patients.

While some mesh devices are absorbable, the non-absorbable products that are meant to provide permanent support to the repaired area have included some that cause painful symptoms for patients:

Common symptoms can include constipation, fatigue, fever, insomnia, irritable bowel, severe pain, and trouble urinating.

Severe symptoms can range from abdominal infection, bowel perforation and fistula formation to organ puncture/rupture, organ removal and sepsis.

These symptoms can lead to the need for strong antibiotics and medications, additional surgeries, and possibly even the removal of the hernia mesh device.

Complications, failures and other health hazards

Just as there are many companies manufacturing hernia mesh devices, there are many issues with some of these products that adversely affect surgery patients.

One mesh product was associated with a range of complications, including recurrent hernias that required additional surgery to repair — resulting in a 20% failure rate!

Another mesh device, which was non-absorbable, actually disintegrated inside the body, leading to severe infections and a product recall.

One of the most well-known products resulted in thousands of lawsuits, in which patients claimed that the device broke and led to severe bowel perforations.