A couple has filed an Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit after the husband underwent surgery and the implanted mesh allegedly injured him.

Plaintiff Daryl L. says he underwent hernia repair surgery in May 2011. At that time, the doctor repaired the hernia with the assistance of an Ethicon Ultra Pro Hernia Repair System. Ethicon is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

Daryl says that in 2013, he started to notice a recurrent hernia at the site of his original surgery. In December 2015, he had to endure a second surgery to repair a recurrent hernia that allegedly was a result of the defective Ethicon mesh used in the original surgery. This led him to file the Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit. 

According to the Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit, the surgeon who performed this second surgery did not inform Daryl that the surgery revealed dense scar tissue had formed and that part of the mesh was embedded into his internal tissues.

Right after the second surgery was completed, Daryl says he began to feel severe pain in his lower abdomen, legs, and testicles. For several months, the surgeon who performed the second surgery allegedly told Daryl his symptoms were a normal part of recovery and that they would subside with time. When the pain persisted, Daryl went to other medical care providers, all of whom told him the pain was caused by things other than the hernia mesh.

Daryl says finally in June 2016, his “cardiac surgeon first speculated that the severe pain and disability might be related to trapped nerves caused by the mesh used in the hernia surgeries,” the complaint says.

In July 2016, a urology specialist said Daryl’s “pain and disability were most likely caused by ‘trapped spermatic cord’ that was related to the hernia surgeries and the mesh that was used” in the original hernia repair surgery.

As a result, Daryl says he underwent a third surgery in October 2016, at which time the surgeon allegedly confirmed Daryl’s pain was due to excessive scar tissue and a trapped spermatic cord, which purportedly developed because of the mesh used in the initial surgery, says the Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit.

Daryl allegedly underwent two additional surgeries in attempts to remove as much scar tissue and as much mesh as possible.

Ethicon Hernia Mesh Lawsuit Alleges Negligence

According to the Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit, Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson allegedly knew the mesh had “a high frequency of migration, break down, infection, entanglement with tissues other than was intended, and formation of excessive scar tissue” that could lead to pain, dysfunction and permanent injuries.

The Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit alleges Daryl has needed unexpected medical, surgical and psychological services and paid expenses for all of these needs because of the alleged defective and dangerous nature of the mesh.

He allegedly suffered from pain and dysfunction for years before a urology specialist narrowed down the true source of his problems, which purportedly was the hernia mesh and the ramifications of having it implanted, all along.

The Ethicon Hernia Mesh Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-08392-RAO, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Ventura.