An Oklahoma man has filed an Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit against the makers of his mesh device claiming that they acted negligently and wants to hold them accountable for damages.

Plaintiff Darrell D., a resident of Comanche County, Okla., has filed this lawsuit against Ethicon Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Southwestern Medical Center and C.R. Bard.

According to Darrell, Ethicon, Johnson & Johnson and Bard are all responsible for the manufacturing of his Ethicon mesh. Southwestern Medical Center is located in Lawton, Okla. and was the hospital at which Darrell had his hernia mesh surgeries.

This Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit claims that Darrell has had to undergo multiple surgeries as a result of a defective Ethicon mesh device. He also alleges that Southwestern acted negligently when they implanted the defective product.

Darrell claims that he had to endure “in excess of ten surgeries. Said product was defective in design and manufacture, and was unreasonably dangerous.” His most recent surgery, according to the Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit, was in October 2013. Darrell claims to have continued problems with the product.

What is Hernia Mesh?

Hernia mesh is a type of medical device that aids in the healing of hernias. It is similar to a screen and is made out of either synthetic or non-synthetic materials. Some hernia mesh is designed to be absorbed into the body over time and some is not.

Many different companies make hernia mesh material for surgical procedures including Bard, Ethicon and Atrium.

About 90 percent of current hernia surgeries are done with hernia mesh. The hernia mesh device is implanted over the hernia to help strengthen the muscle wall where the hernia is. This helps in healing and lessens hernia recurrence.

However, hernia mesh devices come with many complications for patients. The FDA lists some common hernia mesh problems:

• Pain
• Infection
• Hernia recurrence
• Adhesion
• Bowel obstruction
• Organ perforation

Some of these complications can be very dangerous and even life threatening. Many patients, like Darrell, must go through multiple surgeries just to fix problems with their mesh product.

In addition, patients may suffer mesh rejection or mesh migration. When mesh rejection occurs, the body rejects the mesh device. Mesh migration is when the mesh device detaches from where it was implanted and moves throughout the body. Mesh migration can cause severe problems including bowel obstruction.

Many hernia mesh products are no longer on the market and have been recalled by manufacturers. In fact, over 200,000 hernia mesh units have been recalled in the last 13 years. Similar to a recall, Ethicon issued a “market withdrawal” for its products.

Filing an Ethicon Hernia Mesh Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has undergone hernia mesh surgery and has suffered complications, you may be eligible for an Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit. Contacting an experienced attorney can help you decide if filing an Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuit is the right step for you.

This Ethicon Hernia Mesh Lawsuit is Case No. 5:18-cv-00514-W in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.