A woman has filed a hernia mesh removal surgery lawsuit for injuries she received.

In August 2014, plaintiff Crystal B. says she was surgically implanted with a 15 by 15 centimeter Physiomesh, a hernia repair mesh product made by Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon. Hernia mesh products are intended to strengthen hernia repairs, making the need for additional surgeries less likely.

Unfortunately, some mesh products such as Physiomesh can have the opposite effect.

In August 2016, Crystal endured a hernia mesh removal surgery due to painful complications from the product, which “was observed to be breaking up, with loose strands of mesh connecting it together with itself.”

Even though the mesh was removed, residual mesh piece remain in her abdomen that were impossible to remove, and she continues to suffer painful complications.

Physiomesh is made of five layers. Two layers of polyglecaprone-25 (Monocryl) film cover two underlying layers of polydioxanone film, which coat a polypropylene mesh. Ethicon claimed the multi-layer coating was intended to prevent or reduce the possibilities of adhesions and inflammation.

In reality, the impermeable multi-layer coating prevents fluid to escape, which leads to infection. The layers of mesh components allegedly provide a bacterial breeding ground, and the bacteria become trapped among the layers. This prohibits the body’s immune system from adequately fighting the infection, which allows the infection to continue to worsen.

Crystal’s complaint alleges “the multi-layer coating prevented adequate incorporation of the mesh into the body and caused or contributed to an intense inflammatory and chronic foreign body response resulting in adverse tissue reaction, including migration and damage to surrounding tissue…”

Physiomesh’s design allegedly “contributes to complications such as delayed wound healing, inflammation, foreign body response, rejection, infections, and other complications.”

Corrosion Leads to Hernia Mesh Removal Surgery

In some patients, such as Crystal, the hernia mesh corrodes over time.

Because the multi-layer coating degrades, the exposed polypropylene mesh can adhere to nearby tissue and can become stuck to internal organs such as the intestines. Bowel perforation or bowel strangulation are possible as well.

Hernia mesh removal surgery is needed when the polypropylene material weakens and becomes deformed or ruptured. The material’s weakness adds risk of a hernia, which is what the mesh was designed to treat in the first place.

Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon allegedly should have realized the potential problems associated with Physiomesh before releasing the product on the market.

Physiomesh costs significantly more than competitive products because of the multiple layered coating, although patients received no benefits from the design, and actually incur increased risks of complications due to it.

Crystal’s hernia mesh removal surgery complaint alleges that neither she nor her doctor were warned of the “defective and dangerous nature of Physiomesh.”

If you have needed to undergo hernia mesh removal surgery and suffered ongoing problems, you could be eligible for compensation and could benefit by speaking with an attorney.

The Hernia Mesh Removal Surgery Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-02174-MJG in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.