Robert J. Boumis  |  January 8, 2014

Category: Legal News

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vaginal mesh painPlaintiff Dennise Caratzzola and her husband Paul Cartazzola have filed a lawsuit against Coloplast Corporation, alleging that their vaginal mesh product caused serious consequences for Dennise.

Dennise received her pelvic mesh implant in August of 2006. The text of their lawsuit does not go into great detail regarding the vaginal mesh complications she suffered; however, a plethora of serious problems have been linked with transvaginal mesh implants.

Transvaginal mesh is a type of surgical mesh. It is a type of medical implant designed to support organs and tissues when their normal support musculature fails. Medical supply companies first introduced surgical mesh in the 1970s. However, for vaginal mesh surgeries, surgeons would cut regular surgical mesh into custom shapes.

Picking up on the market for a new product, surgical supply companies began to market vaginal mesh, pre-cut into shape for pelvic surgery, as a new product in the 1990s. Since vaginal mesh was based on existing technology, it was able to skip several steps of safety testing. Manufacturers marketed vaginal mesh under a variety of names, including pelvic support systems, transvaginal mesh, urogynecologic mesh, bladder slings, and other names.

Vaginal Mesh Complications Reported by Thousands

However, many recalls and lawsuits are built on the premise that transvaginal mesh can cause serious, potentially life-threatening complications. A variety of mechanisms have been proposed as the cause of these complications. Some patients have reported inflammation, as the body’s immune system attacks the material of mesh. Others have reported mesh erosion, a condition where the mesh cuts through the various tissues it is designed to support through mechanical friction. In other patients, it is alleged that the mesh promotes the formation of scar tissue in such a way that the scar tissue binds various organs of the pelvis together. This process, called adhesions, can impair and damage organ.

The issues with vaginal mesh implants have been reported across different brands, models, and types of surgical mesh. This led to a series of lawsuits and recalls of various models and brands of pelvic mesh.

Most of the lawsuits have taken the form of multidistrict litigation or MDLs, a type of group lawsuit similar to class action suits. Many of these lawsuits allege that manufacturers did not do enough to protect the public from the risk of complications. These suits also allege that manufacturers over-promoted the mesh, despite the fact that older alternatives worked, including other types of surgery not associated with this type of complication.

The Caratzzola have filed their vaginal mesh lawsuit into the Coloplast MDL, known as In Re: Coloplast Corporation, Pelvic Support Systems Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2387, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Help for Victims of Vaginal Mesh Complications

If you had revision surgery to repair damage caused by vaginal mesh, or you have surgery scheduled, you may be able to take legal action against the device manufacturer. These companies have already paid out millions of dollars in vaginal mesh lawsuit settlements and are continuing to settle cases. Don’t delay – see if you qualify to pursue compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages by filling out the short form at the Transvaginal Mesh, Bladder Sling Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.

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