Yet another woman, this time from Georgia, has filed a lawsuit against the makers of transvaginal mesh. A Georgia woman has filed suit against American Medical Systems, Inc. The woman was implanted with the company’s Elevate Anterior and Apical System, the Apical and Posterior System, and the MiniArc. Each of these devises was supposed to treat the woman’s stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Since being implanted with these devices, she has had to have two corrective surgeries and she is still suffering from complications associated with the mesh.
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a condition where the pelvic muscles become weakened because of childbirth, age, or surgery. The muscles in their weakened state are unable to support the internal organs like the bladder and the bowel causing these organs to drop down and press against the walls of the vagina. POP can lead to stress urinary incontinence (SUI) or the inability to hold urine during physical activity, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercising.
The Georgia woman’s lawsuit was filed on April 18, 2012 in the Northern District of Georgia. It has since been included in the multi-district litigation in the Southern District of West Virginia. The multi-district litigation was started in February 2012 after enough of these transvaginal mesh lawsuits were filed to satisfy the requirements of mass litigation. In the complaint, the Georgia woman alleges that the mesh material caused her body’s immune system to have an adverse reaction to it. She also alleges that the mesh has a tendency to contract once it has been implanted and also to shift positions and become deformed, which causes severe pain. The mesh also erodes into the surrounding organs and can even become implanted in the vaginal wall. In some of the more severe cases, partners have been injured by the transvaginal mesh during sexual intercourse.
Another transvaginal mesh manufacturer, Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has notified federal and state judges involved in the multi-district litigation, that it will discontinue five models of its transvaginal mesh implants. Ethicon’s decision to discontinue these products has not been officially named a “recall.” In fact, Matthew Johnson, spokesperson for Ethicon, wants the public to believe that these products are safe despite the overwhelming evidence that these products cause irreparable harm to some women.
Since these problems with transvaginal mesh have surfaced, the Food and Drug Administration has been ordering the makers of these products to conduct tests to determine their soundness. In July 2011, the FDA issued a warning to the public regarding transvaginal mesh products after initially approving the use of the product back in 1996. In addition to the warning, the FDA noted that there was not enough evidence to suggest that transvaginal mesh was the best treatment for SUI and POP. After issuing the warning, the FDA received nearly 4,000 complaints about the mesh and the adverse side effects that it caused.
If you or a loved one has been has had a transvaginal mesh product implanted and you are experiencing complications, please call contact the Georgia product liability litigation attorneys at Pope, McGlamry, Kilpatrick, Morrison & Norwood, P.C. today to schedule a free consultation.
Source: “Georgia Resident’s Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit Added to MDL,” by Kelly Simon, published at InjuryLawyer-News.com.
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