Boston Scientific Corp., Johnson & Johnson, and the J&J subsidiary Ethicon Inc. have been sued in a vaginal mesh lawsuit by a Florida woman, claiming she suffered physical injuries after being implanted with their vaginal mesh products.

Plaintiff Meryem K. filed this vaginal mesh lawsuit in October of last year in Florida federal court, alleging she was implanted with the Obtryx Transobturator Mid-Urethral Sling System (designed and manufactured by Boston Scientific) and J&J/Ethicon’s Prolift vaginal mesh products in May 2007.

These vaginal slings are meant to help patients like Meryem with pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. However, according to numerous vaginal mesh lawsuits and vaginal mesh class action lawsuits that have been consolidated into a vaginal mesh multidistrict litigation (MDL), thousands of women have experienced pain, injury and other complications because of vaginal sling and transvaginal mesh systems.

At some point after the Obytryx and Prolift vaginal mesh products were installed, Meryem allegedly suffered some type of injury from these medical devices. In this vaginal mesh lawsuit, the plaintiff brings several allegations against Boston Scientific, J&J, and Ethicon, including negligence, design defect, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, tolling and fraudulent concealment, and punitive damages.

The Boston Scientific, J&J and Ethicon Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit is Case No. 2:14-cv-26566, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

It is part of the larger Vaginal Mesh MDL known as In re: Boston Scientific Corp. Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2326, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Background on Vaginal Mesh

Vaginal mesh products
 (also known as transvaginal mesh systems or vaginal slings) are medical devices made from porous synthetic or sometimes biological materials. These medical devices are made by a variety of companies and are implanted in a patient’s body to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and urinary incontinence problems (UIP).

At one point in time, vaginal mesh implants were considered safe and effective medical devices by consumers and physicians alike. However, a few years ago vaginal mesh complications and injuries reports began to flood the medical community. As a result, the FDA published a July 2011 vaginal mesh device warning, informing consumers of the possible health dangers and injury risks associated with the use of vaginal or transvaginal mesh implants for POP and UIP.

Some vaginal mesh side effects consumers may experience include:

• Pain during intercourse
• Urinary issues
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Scarring in the vaginal area
• Perforated bowels, bladder, and/or blood vessels
• Erosion of mesh into the vagina
• Infection
• Various organ injuries

Many vaginal mesh side effects require additional surgeries and treatments, resulting in more pain, suffering, and financial burden for the women suffering from a defective vaginal mesh implant. Vaginal mesh lawsuits like the one being pursued by Meryem allow injured consumers to receive some compensation for the physical and emotional pain, suffering, and injury allegedly caused by vaginal mesh implants.