Defective hernia mesh has become a prevalent concern in the patient population and medical community, as numerous injury reports indicate serious complications. This concern has recently caused Johnson & Johnson to issue a market withdrawal for its Physiomesh Flexible Composure Mesh, due to higher than expected revision rates.

Johnson & Johnson issued the market withdrawal in May 2016, after hernia mesh complications allegedly forced patients to undergo revision surgery to treat the injuries. Hernia mesh has been on the market for over 50 years, with many different variations between manufacturing companies.

However, this does not make the industry immune from injury reports, as patients allege complications caused by defective hernia mesh.

Overview of Hernia Mesh Complications

Hernia mesh is a medical device used for hernia repairs, which is one of the most commonly conducted surgeries in the United States. Every year millions of patients undergo hernia repair surgery in order to fix the damaged or weakened tissue.

A hernia is an injury that occurs when inner layers of a muscle become damaged or weakened, and eventually forms a sac from the underlying bulges of the muscle lining. Hernia repair mesh can be either synthetic or biologic, in which patients can choose products made from either man-made materials like polyester or from donated animal or human dermis.

Johnson & Johnson is one of the primary manufacturing companies for hernia mesh, but has become the target of criticism due to alleged cases of defective hernia mesh. While there are number of factors that can contribute to hernia mesh complications, it has been alleged that certain defective hernia mesh models were poorly made and are unreasonably dangerous to patients.

It is important to note that when Johnson & Johnson issued a market withdrawal of their Physiomesh hernia mesh products, the company explained that one of the mesh complications could have been caused by the design of the product. Hernia mesh complications can be deadly to patients and should be fixed as soon as possible, with the most common problems reported including:

• Mild to severe infection (including sepsis)
• Adhesions forming around the bowl and hernia mesh
• Bowel obstruction
• Abdominal pain
• Liver complications
• Kidney failure
• Aching joints

Oftentimes, defective hernia mesh forces the patient to undergo revision surgery to resolve the complications. Even though these problems can be potentially devastating to patients, Johnson & Johnson and other companies allegedly failed to warn the public about these complications.

Patients who allegedly suffered complications due to defective hernia mesh may be able to file legal action against the manufacturing company. Potential claimants can talk to a medical products lawyer to determine eligibility for a hernia mesh lawsuit.