Mesh repair is a widely used surgical method of treating hernias — but can a hernia come back after mesh repair?

Surgeries like this aren’t guaranteed to have a 100% success rate, but those who undergo surgery to repair a hernia face a fairly significant risk of the problem recurring, or suffering other hernia mesh side effects.

What is a hernia?

A hernia is a condition that occurs when an internal body part like an organ, intestine, or even fatty tissue ends up squeezing through surrounding muscle or connective tissue in a hole or just a particularly weak spot. Often, this occurs at the abdominal wall.

Muscle strain or weakness behind a hernia can be caused by numerous factors, including coughing, pregnancy, constipation, strenuous exercise or lifting, aging, damage from an injury, obesity, and more. If any of these factors cause a tear or weakness in a part of the body, a hernia can occur either quickly or slowly over time.

Hernias are internal occurrences, but can sometimes be seen from the outside as a sort of external bulge, particularly when the area is under strain, according to WebMD. The variety of common hernia types are inguinal, femoral, incisional, ventral, umbilical, and hiatal.

The most often seen type of hernia is the inguinal hernia which occurs when the intestines push through the lower abdominal wall due to a tear or weak spot. Often times, this happens in the inguinal canal — the crease between the leg and the lower abdomen. These hernias are more common in men or pregnant women.

In most cases, hernias will have no symptoms and will only be detected by a doctor through an exam for another issue. However, when symptoms do occur, a noticeable bulge or lump in the herniated area is the most common sign. In some cases, this bulge may lessen or completely disappear when lying down. It may become more prominent when standing, bending, or coughing. Pain or discomfort around the hernia could occur, although this is not always the case.

Other symptoms typically depend on the type of hernia. For example, the hiatal hernia is an internal hernia of the stomach through a weakness in the diaphragm. These hernias can lead to unique symptoms such as heartburn, chest pain, and trouble swallowing.

What is hernia mesh repair?

Treatment for hernias is a common surgery in the United States. In fact, more than a million hernia repairs are done in the U.S. each year, per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vast majority of these (around 800,000) are to treat inguinal hernias.

Treatment can, in some cases, be non-surgical, and simply involves watching and waiting to ensure that the hernia isn’t getting larger or causing further complications. If left untreated, a severe hernia could lead to bowel blockages, strangulation of tissues, and other complications which could be life threatening.

Surgical methods include laparoscopic surgery or open repair. In laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon makes small incisions in the abdomen and uses surgical tools through these openings to repair the hernia. Open repair uses a single, larger incision near the site of the hernia to repair the weak muscle. Both of these surgical approaches can be done with or without a surgical hernia mesh device.

Surgical hernia mesh is used to reinforce a weak area or patch a hole after a person suffers from a hernia. These devices are made by a number of major manufacturers, including Ethicon, Bard, and more.

Most hernia mesh repair implants are meant to be permanent devices. However, complications from a hernia mesh device, including hernia mesh rejection, can require an implant to be removed early.

Can a hernia come back?

Hernia recurrence is a common issue, and can even happen after the use of surgical mesh. So when can a hernia come back, and how effective is surgical mesh as a preventive?

A hernia is, by definition, a weakness in muscles or tissues which allows tissues to protrude. If hernia repair surgery fails to sufficiently address weaknesses in the muscles or tissues, hernia recurrence occurs.

So far, studies have shown that the use of surgical mesh for repair reduces the hernia recurrence rate compared to hernia repair performed without surgical mesh. However, like any surgery, there may be risks associated with hernia mesh repair.

Happily, hernia mesh repair is considered to be a fairly safe procedure, effective in reducing the recurrence of hernias. The Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University explains that before hernia mesh was developed, hernias recurred in 25 to 50% of cases. After hernia mesh was introduced into hernia repair procedures, this rate of recurrence dropped to just 10%.

A 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association supports these statistics and indicated that hernias repaired with mesh recurred less than those repaired without mesh. The study reportedly examined 2,000 surgeries performed between 1980 and 2012 and looked into the rate of hernia recurrence over the course of five years.

Some types of hernia mesh have been the subject of recall in recent years because of manufacturing or design defects in the meshes that made them less effective, or even dangerous to patients. However, this does not mean that hernia mesh is not safe in general. These recalls started in 2010, says the University of California, Irvine.

These recalls were largely effective in keeping unsafe mesh off of the market, according to UC Irvine, and still allowing hernia mesh to help many patients. UCI explains that one key part of the safety of a hernia mesh repair procedure is placing the mesh correctly and using it in the right circumstances. No mesh is perfect, but many offer benefits that may outweigh their risks.

Risks associated with the use of hernia mesh include an increased risk of infection, as well as the risk of adhesion, bowel obstruction, mesh migration, and mesh contraction. Symptoms of mesh failure may include pain and weight changes, among other issues.

Can I file a hernia mesh lawsuit?

If you or someone you love has suffered from mesh repair complications such as recurrence, device migration, inflammation, chronic pain, mesh failure, or others, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation.

Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these complications, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect — especially while you’re dealing with these complications — so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.