A hernia mesh revision surgery lawsuit has been filed against Atrium Medical Corp., maker of C-Qur Mesh products.

Plaintiff Delores B. says she underwent implantation of the C-Qur mesh to repair a hernia in December 2011. She had hernia mesh revision surgery in July 2014 because the mesh adhered to internal organs and resulted in bowel obstruction. She also experienced post-revision infection and pain.

Dolores claims Atrium convinced her doctor the C-Qur mesh was appropriate and safe, even though the company allegedly knew the polypropylene surgical netting was not a material that was compatible with human tissue.

The hernia mesh revision surgery complaint alleges the mesh causes an immune response that “promotes degradation of the polypropylene mesh, as well as the surrounding tissue, and can contribute to the formation of severe adverse reactions to the mesh.”

Hernia Mesh Revision Surgery Necessary Due to Adhesions

Delores experienced adhesions and bowel obstruction because her body reacted to the mesh as a foreign object. Scar tissue built up in and around the mesh implant, which resulted in the adherence to internal organs and restrictions of her bowels.

According to Delores and other plaintiffs with similar claims, Atrium coated the C-Qur mesh with Omega 3 fatty acid fish oil, a substance that could cause an allergic reaction, possibly even a lethal reaction, in patients with fish allergies. In response to doctors notifying the company of the dangers of such reactions, Atrium allegedly simply changed the way it applied the fish oil to the mesh without notifying the FDA.

In addition, Atrium is accused of using a chemical to keep the mesh product sterile, but failing to keep the package full of adequate moisture to effectively prevent infection.

This same lack of moisture allows the fish oil coating to lose its adherence to the mesh, creating more problems for the recipient and increasing the chances of a hernia mesh reaction, claims the complaint.

Upon receiving reports from doctors regarding apparent allergic reactions to the C-Qur mesh, Atrium allegedly tried to convince the doctors that there were alternative causes to the reactions and that the fish oil was not the offending factor.

The hernia mesh revision surgery complaint says that Atrium “intentionally, or at very least, recklessly disregarded human life by lying to physicians about the possible causes of the allergic reaction, resulting in significantly more severe injuries in those already implanted with the C-Qur mesh, and more patients nationwide being implanted with the C-Qur mesh.”

The C-Qur mesh also was uniquely sensitive to high humidity and temperatures during transportation and storage prior to its use in the operating room, but Atrium never conveyed this information to patients, Delores claims.

Unique to C-Qur mesh is the fact that the fish oil coating will peel off the polypropylene or will stick to the packaging if exposed to heat and humidity while in storage or transit. “Excess temperature and/or humidity result in the C-Qur mesh degrading and transforming into an even more dangerous product,” alleges the hernia mesh revision surgery complaint.

The Hernia Mesh Revision Surgery Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-00308-LM in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire.