In the last three years, the FDA has received reports from surgical mesh manufacturers and patients, of complications associated with the product and the procedure. There is a widespread transvaginal mesh recall from the various patients who had them inserted. The surgical mesh is normally used to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and Stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The FDA therefore issued a warning, alerting patients and would be seekers of this kind of treatment about its reported effects in order to avoid further complications. Women who have had the procedure and experienced complications have been issued with the transvaginal mesh recall and encouraged to come forth as they are entitled to a form of compensation as well.

Having heard about the transvaginal mesh recall, here is a bit of information on the instances it is administered. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse is a condition that affects the vaginal support making it sag. A woman may feel as though there is a tissue bulging and protruding through the vagina. It causes the dropping of the rectum, cervix, urethra, and bladder. This can be quite an uncomfortable and embarrassing situation for any woman. Stress urinary incontinence on the other hand is the inability of the vaginal muscles to support it thus encouraging leakage of urine at any time. Minor and spontaneous actions such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, or loud talking can cause this leakage. Besides, a woman is no longer able to hold her urine and may make more frequent visits to the toilet.

The two conditions mostly affect women of mature age mostly from their 50’s to 70’s. As a form of treatment and control, the transvaginal mesh is normally inserted through a minimally invasive procedure into the vagina for anterior and posterior vaginal repair. The treatment has been administered to women from the continental divide for a long time until recently. There were many cases of women complaining and reporting of various complications prompting the transvaginal mesh recall. According to the study, the complications associated with the transvaginal mesh recall include:

Infection

Erosion of the vaginal epithelium

Problems with urinating

Recurrence of the Prolapse or incontinence

Infection

On top of the mentioned complications associated with transvaginal mesh recall, there were reports of bladder, bowel, and blood vessel damage during the surgical operation to insert the mesh. The surgical mesh operation and vaginal scarring caused pain and discomfort to the patient and generally brought down their value of life. It is however not known whether there may be other prior characteristics that the patient may have that are related to the increase of the symptoms of these complications.

These complications have therefore necessitated the further treatment of the patients some of, which may include more surgical operations especially to remove the transvaginal mesh, drainage of the abscess and hematomas, and also IV therapy. Transvaginal mesh recall has been put to effect by the FDA as well as the doctors and surgeons administering the practice for corrective purposes as well as for compensation.


Mark Spearman is the author of this article on Transvaginal Mesh Recall. Find more information on Pelvic Mesh Recall here.