A couple has filed a Gynecare TVT Obturator lawsuit in California federal court against Ethicon Inc. over allegations that the company’s transvaginal mesh caused severe adverse side effects and complications.

Plaintiffs Chrissie and Jeff C., residents and citizens of Knox County, Tenn., filed the Gynecare TVT Obturator lawsuit demanding a trial by jury. The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 22, 2018.

According to the Gynecare TVT Obturator lawsuit, Chrissie says that she was first implanted with a Gynecare TVT Obturator System product during a transvaginal mesh surgery at Partwest Medical Center on Feb. 7, 2013. Later, allegedly due to adverse side effects and complications she was experiencing, she says she underwent a surgical procedure to remove a portion of the mesh on Aug. 22, 2016.

According to the lawsuit, since its implantation Chrissie says that she has suffered severe complications including “significant mental and physical pain, disability, suffering, has sustained permanent injury, and permanent and substantial physical deformity, has suffered financial or economic loss, including, but not limited to obligations for medical services and expenses, lost income, has endured impaired physical relations with her husband, and other damages”, the lawsuit states.

The Gynecare TVT Obturator lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including negligence, design defect, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, punitive damages, and loss of consortium.

Overview: Gynecare TVT Obturator Lawsuit

Due to the enormity of adverse side effects and complications that patients have suffered, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Ethicon and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson.

Law firms are reviewing a tremendous number of potential product liability lawsuits for women who have developed severe complications and health risks following surgery to repair stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Patients claim that not only have there been significant risks associated with insertion of a transvaginal mesh, no evidence has currently been established noting the benefits over its implantation than alternate treatment methods for pelvic organ prolapse.

Some of the products that are currently being pursued for potential product liability include: Ethicon Gynecare Prolift Pelvic Mesh, Ethicon Gynecare Prosima Pelvic Mesh, Ethicon Gynecare Gynemesh, Ethicon Prolene Mesh, and Ethicon Gynecare TVT Sling.

The Gynecare TVT slings include products that are part of a large family to help treat stress urinary incontinence. Variations of the product include the TVT Obturator System (TVT-O), TVT Secure System (TVT-S), TVT Retropublic System, TVT Exact and TVT Abbrevo. However, while there are many different products which have been used by almost 1.5 million people throughout the world, the product does cause severe adverse side effects and injuries.

Adverse side effects that have been linked to Gynecare implantation includes: infection, urinary problems, difficulty during sex, injury to nearby organs, hardening of the mesh, pelvic pain, erosion of the mesh, and infection.

Though the filing of a Gynecare TVT Obturator lawsuit or lawsuit filed because of severe adverse side effects and complications that have resulted from any other device or product, compensation may be available.

The Gynecare TVT Obturator Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-07376, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.