Some patients faced with hernia surgery opt for the use of what is called hernia mesh.

However, there have been many reports of hernia mesh failure and complications involving this medical device.

A hernia occurs when a muscle, usually in the abdomen, is weak or tears and an organ bulges through the weak spot. Hernias are often painful.

Hernia surgery is very common. More than one million hernia procedures take place yearly in the United States.

Surgeons began using hernia mesh in the 1940s and by the early 1990s, doctors were using minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures with the mesh devices.

Hernia mesh is a surgical implant that is used to treat hernias. It is made of woven synthetic plastic and looks similar to a window screen.

The mesh acts as a sort of flexible scaffolding to fix torn muscle walls and keep organs in place. After time, a patient’s tissue grows around the mesh to strengthen the muscle wall. Hernia mesh surgery is usually a permanent procedure.

There are two types of hernia mesh surgery: laparoscopic and open. During laparoscopic surgery, a surgeon makes small incisions and inserts surgical tools to complete the surgery. Recovery time is quick, often one to two weeks.

During open hernia repair surgery, the surgeon makes an incision near the hernia site and uses sutures or surgical glue to hold the mesh in place. Typical recovery time is three weeks.

Often doctors choose to use hernia mesh for hernia procedures because it tends to reduce hernia recurrence. Hernia mesh has been used successfully for many years, but a growing number of hernia mesh failure incidents is cause for alarm.

FDA Warns About Hernia Mesh Failure

The Food and Drug Administration has warned against the possibility of hernia mesh failure. The FDA has noted the resulting complications can include:

• Organ perforation
• Infection
• Nerve damage
• Adhesions (scar tissue that sticks together)
• Pain
• Hernia reoccurrence
• Bowel or intestinal blockage
• Bleeding
• Fistulas (abnormal connections between organs)
• Seroma (fluid buildup)
• Mesh migration and rejection
• Mesh shrinkage

Infection can occur because the mesh is recognized by the body as a foreign substance. Sometimes the body reacts against the mesh, impairing the mechanisms that fight against germs. This may result in infection at the mesh site.

Intestinal complications can occur because sometimes, hernia mesh can become affixed to a part of the intestine. If this happens, most of the time there is no problem. But sometimes, the mesh can kink the intestine and cause a blockage.

There are a few brands and types of hernia mesh that have been discontinued due to reports of failure. Ethicon’s Physiomesh Composite Mesh and Proceed products have been withdrawn from the market. Proceed was removed through a formal recall.

If you experienced hernia mesh failure and suffered severe hernia mesh side effects, your complications may be the result of a defective mesh product made by Ethicon or another maker.

You may qualify to file a hernia mesh lawsuit. Learn more by filling out the form on this page for a free case evaluation.