Another hernia mesh patient has been forced to undergo hernia mesh revision surgery because of complications or device failure.

The California plaintiff, Matthew F., alleges in his lawsuit that he has suffered several injuries as a result of his implantation with an Ethicon Physiomesh device.

Matthew was implanted with the Physiomesh to repair an incisional hernia in July 2011. However, in September 2017, Matthew was forced to undergo hernia mesh revision surgery because of a serious device failure issue. This hernia mesh revision surgery took a total of nine hours.

The surgery left a large scar down Matthew’s abdomen and also left him with lasting problems, including severe abdominal pain and mental anguish. He alleges these issues have had a substantial effect on his ability to work, as well as just go about his daily tasks and activities. He is still undergoing follow-up treatment, and may even need another surgery in the future.

Matthew and many others like him have experienced serious complications with hernia mesh devices that have caused severe or long-lasting injuries. Some patients, like Matthew, choose to pursue litigation against the device manufacturer over their problems with hernia mesh.

The hernia mesh revision surgery lawsuit was filed on Oct. 30. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including defective design, failure to warn, defective manufacture, negligence, and breach of express warranty.

Hernia Mesh Device Background

The hernia mesh device involved in this lawsuit was manufactured by Ethicon, a prominent subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the hernia mesh product, known as Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh, in March 2010.

Hernias are known to recur, so doctors often use surgical mesh to strengthen the hernia repair and reduce the rate of recurrence. Unfortunately, the Physiomesh device has become linked with a number of serious side effects.

In response to these risks, and due to a high rate of Physiomesh failure, in May 2016 Ethicon withdrew its Physiomesh hernia mesh product from the market.

Hernia Mesh Complications

Patients may experience a number of serious problems with hernia mesh, including Ethicon’s Physiomesh device. Patients have reported experiencing, among others, the following difficulties with hernia mesh implants:

• Chronic pain
• Hernia recurrence
• Rejection of the mesh
• Infection
• Device migration
• Scarring
• Inflammation
• Organ adhesion
• Erosion
• Tissue and nerve damage
• Death

More common problems with hernia mesh, such as device migration, can later lead to more serious problems like infection, adhesion, and device failure. In many cases, complications from hernia mesh are severe enough that patients are forced to undergo revision surgery to remove the device completely. Hernia mesh revision surgery, of course, brings with it its own risks and medical expenses.

Filing a Lawsuit After Hernia Mesh Revision Surgery

If you or someone you love has suffered from hernia mesh failure complications like these after undergoing hernia mesh revision surgery, even months later, you may be able to file a Ethicon lawsuit and seek compensation for your injuries. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by hernia mesh complications, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Hernia Mesh Revision Surgery Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-07915-GW-AS, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.