Why does the word “POP” not sound like a good thing when it comes to medicine? Perhaps it’s because, as a general rule, only bad stuff happens when someone says it pops!
People say it for lots of injury-related issues. For example, “My knee pops, what’s wrong with it?” The same can be said for a word with regard to organ prolapse.
The term “POP” is the abbreviation for pelvic organ prolapse, and it is used to indicate the condition in which a woman’s weakened muscles and tissue are no longer able to support the pelvic organs. This results in the organs shifting from their normal position or “dropping.”
POP surgery is the method used to repair this problem. It can be performed through the abdomen or the vagina using stitches. It can also be executed by using surgical mesh to reinforce the repair and support the pelvic organs.
Many women suffering from this condition had POP surgery using surgical mesh implants, and it turns out that the mesh was defective in many of these cases. The use of various brands of vaginal mesh as a method of repair put a lot of women at risk for severe complications after POP surgery. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted that using vaginal mesh, which comes with greater potential risk, shows no indication of a greater clinical benefit! This means that women who elected to have POP surgery transvaginally with mesh got no real benefit; in fact, it could have caused worse problems than they had to begin with.
The following list highlights the most common complications as reported by women who underwent POP surgery using transvaginal mesh:
- Infections
- Mesh erosion
- Significant bleeding
- Urinary issues
- Scarring of the vagina
- Pain during sex
- Puncturing or cutting of the blood vessels, bowel, and bladder.
In 2008, the FDA came out with its first public alert related to transvaginal mesh and the problems women were reporting. In just the last few years, the agency has seen more than 2,500 reports of vaginal mesh complications from nine different manufactures! That means that across the board, transvaginal mesh was a dismal failure. A failure in the body, at least. On the sales charts, the vaginal mesh was a huge hit, and many companies made a fortune selling their defective product.
Since 2010, our firm has been taking in transvaginal mesh (TVM) cases. Nationally, there are almost 30,000 such cases being handled across various state courts. Recently, a California jury held the mesh manufacturer liable for more than $5 million in damages. In New Jersey, another manufacturer was held liable for more than $11 million in damages. These verdicts are bringing all the mesh makers to the settlement table.
That means that if you had a mesh product used in your surgical repair, you could have the right to compensation for any defective mesh damages you suffered. However, you can’t wait. Now is the time to act. Call our law office immediately for help. We have female attorneys and paralegals who can handle your free consultation in private to ensure that you are comfortable explaining your personal situation.
