Despite the FDA’s warnings about health risks associated with the use of surgical mesh for vaginal repair of pelvic organ prolapse (POP), use of vaginal mesh devices is increasing, according to a study of vaginal mesh patients in New York state.

After giving birth, undergoing certain surgical procedures, or suffering from medical conditions that strain the lower abdomen, some women develop health complications pertaining to the structure of their internal organs.

Surgeons often treat these conditions with surgical patches in the form of vaginal mesh. However, recent studies have shown that vaginal mesh may not be safe.

Two conditions that are frequently treated with the surgical implantation of vaginal mesh, includes pelvic organ prolapse, which occurs when the muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues weaken and allow the uterus, bladder, and bowels to slip out of place, and for stress urinary incontinence, which happens when the urinary sphincter and pelvic floor muscles lose the ability to control the release of urine.

Both of these conditions may require the use of a vaginal mesh or bladder sling to add support to the lower abdomen.

Study Suggests POP Age-Based Vaginal Mesh Complications

In the first study to examine pelvic mesh use for pelvic organ prolapse treatment, researchers at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York analyzed a statewide database of nearly 28,000 women who had prolapse repair procedures in the state from 2008 to 2011.

More than 7,300 women underwent prolapse repair with vaginal mesh and 20,653 had the procedure without vaginal mesh.

They found POP repair with vaginal mesh rose from 21 percent in 2008 to 30 percent in 2011. While more than 62 percent of the patients in the group were younger than 65 years, there were more 65-and-older patients in the vaginal mesh group than in the non-mesh group.

Although mesh surgery complications were not common whether surgeons used vaginal mesh or not, researchers reported that vaginal mesh recipients were more likely than non-mesh recipients to have a reintervention within 1 year and to have urinary retention within 90 days.

Vaginal Mesh Complications

Doctors have used surgical mesh for procedures such as hernia repair since the 1950s. In recent years, medical professionals have refined this product to be used in a multitude of delicate operations, including the reinforcement of lower abdominal tissues in women who suffer from health problems including pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.

However, thousands of vaginal mesh complications have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), prompting the agency to issue a safety communication stating that the use of vaginal mesh is “an area of continuing serious concern.”

According to the FDA, there were over 3,874 cases of vaginal mesh complications reported between 2005 and 2010. The safety communication report included instances of the following complications:

• Mesh exposure
• Mesh migration
• Mesh contraction
• Mesh erosion

These problems can result in devastating side effects including pain, infection, bleeding, organ perforation, vaginal scarring and shrinkage, and neuromuscular issues for victims. Unfortunately, once the vaginal mesh is in place, it can be difficult to perform additional surgeries to repair any vaginal mesh complications.