A Missouri woman added to the growing pile of litigation against Boston Scientific over its vaginal mesh sling products, alleging that the device was defective.

The plaintiff, Mary Z., says she was implanted with an Advantage Transvaginal Mid-Urethral Sling System from Boston Scientific on Oct. 20, 2004.

Unfortunately, in the years following implantation with the device, Mary alleges that she began to suffer from side effects caused by defects in the device. The lawsuit claims that she was not adequately warned about the risks linked to the vaginal mesh sling device.

Mary filed her vaginal mesh sling lawsuit on Jan. 31, 2017, in West Virginia. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, design defect, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, breach of express and implied warranties, and several others. Her Vaginal Mesh Sling Lawsuit is Case No. 4:18-cv-01481-SNLJ, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Basics of a Vaginal Mesh Sling

A vaginal mesh sling is used for treating stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in women, which can follow hysterectomy, menopause, or childbirth. Unfortunately, the product has reportedly contributed to serious mesh complications, such as organ perforation and mesh erosion.

Transvaginal insertion of these mesh implants is quicker and easier than abdominal insertion, but the serious complications associated with some of these products has caused thousands of women to file transvaginal mesh lawsuits. Hundreds of thousands of women have already had a vaginal mesh sling implanted, and may be at risk.

Stress urinary incontinence occurs when pelvic muscles weaken, causing the bladder to leak urine during physical activity that increases pressure. Vaginal mesh sling implants are the most common treatment for SUI, often called bladder slings. Doctors typically choose transvaginal placement of these implants rather than abdominal because it is considered to be a less invasive surgical procedure.

The complications of vaginal mesh sling devices can include mesh erosion and organ perforation. Mesh erosion occurs when the mesh breaks apart and passes through the vaginal wall. This causes bleeding, severe pain, infection, and nerve damage. Organ perforation is the second stage of this complication. Once the mesh erodes through the vaginal wall, it can harm other organs like the bladder with its jagged edge.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Defective Vaginal Mesh Sling

Thousands of lawsuits like this Boston Scientific vaginal mesh sling lawsuit have already been filed, many of which have reached substantial settlements. If you or someone you love has experienced complications from transvaginal mesh, you may have cause to file a vaginal mesh sling lawsuit.

Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by a defective mesh product, but a settlement agreement can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.