If you have suffered a hernia mesh injury, it could be time to consider a hernia mesh injury claim. Filing a hernia mesh lawsuit can help you receive compensation for your injuries related to your hernia mesh implantation. An experienced hernia mesh injury attorney can ensure your claim is protected and preserved and will also be aware of the hernia mesh injury lawsuit statute of limitations. The hernia mesh injury lawsuit statutes of limitations refer to the amount of time you have to file a hernia mesh injury lawsuit.  Because the statutes vary from state to state (from one year to twelve years), the best person to make sure you do not exceed the statutes is your hernia mesh injury lawyer from Sullo & Sullo.

Hernia Mesh Injury Complications

There are a number of hernia mesh injury complications experienced by those who have been implanted with hernia mesh. The hernia mesh can adhere to another organ, such as the bowel or intestines. When this occurs, surgery is necessary to remove the mesh, and, in some cases, part of the organ itself. The mesh can also contract, once implanted, causing severe pain in the patient. Hernia mesh can erode into the bowel, requiring multiple additional surgeries, many weeks in the hospital, a colostomy, and even partial bowel removal. In many cases, the hernia mesh can lead to a serious infection, even sepsis.

Hernia mesh is usually used to repair inguinal hernias as well as ventral hernias, therefore the injuries and complications may depend on exactly where the hernia mesh is placed. Coated hernia meshes—although they were meant to reduce complications—have actually been found to cause more injuries than non-coated hernia mesh, particularly infections. When hernia mesh becomes infected, it almost always requires removal. Symptoms of hernia mesh infection include fever, nausea, vomiting, chills and tremors, as well as abdominal pain. Abdominal pain can also be a symptom of a hernia mesh bowel obstruction, a hernia mesh adhesion formation, or nerve damage due to the hernia mesh.

In some cases, hernia mesh can result in leg, groin and testicular pain (when inguinal hernias are repaired with mesh), and pain during sex when the hernia mesh used to repair an inguinal hernia attaches to the spermatic cord. Rashes have been observed among those with the C-QUR V-Patch and the Ventralex ST. Diarrhea, constipation and nausea can be signs of a bowel obstruction or bowel adhesions. Hernia mesh implants can result in seromas—fluid capsules which surround the mesh and may be present with or without infection. Hernia mesh implants can also cause fistulas, which are abnormal tunnels between the mesh and the bowel, which can also lead to infections in the area. Some recipients of hernia mesh implants have also experienced autoimmune disorders, neurological changes, renal failure, liver abnormalities, joint aches and pains and abnormal sweating.

The Dangers of Polypropylene Used in Hernia Mesh

Polypropylene can damage the surface of any organ it touches. In particular, when hernia mesh is inserted deeper into the abdominal cavity, which allows the mesh to come into contact with the bowel, severe complications can arise.  In order to gain FDA pre-market approval, the mesh manufacturers began applying various coatings to the mesh, believing the coatings would create a barrier between the polypropylene and the bowel, and would later be absorbed by the body. Mesh with a coating is known as composite mesh, and it appears these composite meshes have an even higher rate of complications.

Hernia Mesh Injury Lawsuits

Ethicon’s Physiomesh currently has nearly 800 lawsuits against the manufacturer. Although Physiomesh was voluntarily withdrawn from the market in May 2016, there was no FDA recall of the composite hernia mesh. Multiple studies have shown high rates of complications associated with Physiomesh, including the necessity for additional surgeries to remove the mesh. Ethicon admits they are unsure why Physiomesh is defective, and do not know how to decrease the complications among those who have already been implanted with Physiomesh, which was coated on each side. The coating may have prevented Physiomesh from properly incorporating with the host tissue.

The Atrium C—QUR hernia mesh also has lawsuits filed against the manufacturer. The C-QUR has an Omega-3 fatty acid coating which has been found to cause severe allergic reactions among some patients, as well as life-threatening systemic infections. Removing the C-QUR can be very difficult, resulting in further injury. The Kugel hernia mesh by C.R. Bard was one of the first and most well-known hernia meshes to be recalled (several lots were recalled between 2005 and 2007). The Kugel hernia mesh patch has a ring in the middle of the mesh to help the mesh hold its shape, but multiple lots of these hernia mesh patches were found to break at the inner ring, causing bowel perforations. As the polypropylene Kugel hernia mesh would shrink over time, more force was applied to the ring, causing it to break.

Contact a Hernia Mesh Injury Lawyer Today

If you have suffered hernia mesh injuries, do not wait—contact an experienced Sullo & Sullo hernia mesh injury lawyer today who can evaluate your potential claim, then clearly explain your options regarding a hernia mesh injury lawsuit.