Hernia Mesh Lawsuit
Gary Tucker & Associates is a law group that represents victims of defective medical devices in Houston. We take cases throughout the Houston area and the goal of our lawsuits is to recover financial devastation for all hernia mesh victims. Hernia mesh, or surgical mesh, is a medical device that supports damaged tissue around hernias as it heals. Surgeons place the mesh across the area surrounding the hernia, attaching it with stitches, staples or glue. Pores in the mesh allow tissue to grow into the device.
Hernia mesh is used in nine out of 10 hernia surgeries annually in the U.S. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, using hernia mesh may improve a patient’s outcome because the surgery and recovery may take less time compared to other treatment options. However, the agency links recalled meshes to many reports of hernia mesh complications. Some patients require hernia mesh removal surgery to treat these complications.
What is Hernia Mesh?
A main reason surgeons use hernia mesh is to lower the risk of a hernia recurring, or coming back. There is a high chance of hernias returning after repair surgery. Conventional hernia surgery stitches torn tissue back together. Some studies have shown that surgeries using mesh lead to fewer hernia recurrences. Others have found there are other complications that are more common with mesh.
Hernia Mesh Repair Surgery Information
Surgery is the only treatment that can permanently repair a hernia. Hernia mesh is used in about 90 percent of those surgeries, according to the FDA. Surgeons can perform repairs with or without hernia mesh. But mesh has become more common since the 1980s. Doctors may use minimally-invasive techniques to implant hernia mesh. This is called laparoscopic surgery. It requires only small incisions. Surgeons place surgical tools through the incisions to implant the mesh. Open repair is another technique. It requires a large incision that opens the body to the hernia. Surgeons attach the mesh to the damaged tissue then close the wound. Recovery time is shorter for laparoscopic surgery. But the operation takes longer and is more expensive.
Hernia Mesh Risks and Complications
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration tracks reports on hernia mesh complications. Doctors and patients report complications they have experienced. Manufacturers also have to tell the FDA about reports they receive. Thousands of people have filed hernia mesh lawsuits after suffering serious complications. A federal panel has combined lawsuits over three brands of hernia mesh into three separate multi-district litigations (MDL). MDLs allow several similar lawsuits to move more efficiently through the legal system.
The FDA has blamed recalled hernia mesh for most cases of bowel obstruction and perforation. Many of these products are no longer on the market. But some recalled meshes are still available.
