C.R. Bard is facing a new hernia mesh lawsuit, which was filed by a man from Ohio alleging he suffered serious complications from their Ventralex mesh product used for hernia repair.

The man had been recommended Ventralex mesh for hernia repair by his physician, after reviewing marketing materials and product information provided by the company.

These marketing materials had reportedly stated that Ventralex mesh was safe and effective, and did not mention concerning side effects. With these benefits in mind, plaintiff Jason M. had the Ventralex mesh for hernia repair implanted on Jan. 13, 2012, in which a small ventral hernia was treated.

However, Jason reportedly suffered serious device complications not long after the Ventralex mesh was implanted. According to the hernia mesh lawsuit, Jason had to undergo revision surgery on Oct. 21, 2016, in which the Ventralex mesh product was removed.

According to surgical notes, doctors noted that Jason had “granulation tissue” that was spreading “down to the area of his previously placed mesh.” This essentially means that tissue had been damaged, which Jason alleges caused by the Ventralex mesh utilized for hernia repair.

Jason has been contending with his compounded medical condition and opted to file legal action after discovering other patients had similar experiences from getting Ventralex mesh for hernia repair.

Overview of Hernia Mesh Complications

According to C.R. Bard, the Ventralex mesh has a polypropylene side that is meant to encourage scarring in the abdominal wall to help with the hernia repair process.

This essentially means that this coating is supposed to cause inflammation and swelling in the abdominal tissue, which is supposed to be offset by the product’s ePTFE side to prevent adhesion formation. However, patients like Jason claim the utilization of ePTFE may cause infection in patients while the polypropylene side may make the device difficult to remove once the mesh becomes infected.

Many other hernia mesh products contain this polypropylene material to spur inflammation because the swelling muscle encourages hernia repair in the abdominal wall. The swelling is supposed to eventually settle, but problems can quickly form if it does not.

Early signs of hernia mesh failure often include signs of infection such as lack of healing on the incision site, heat emitting from the incision site, and the patient developing flu-like symptoms. In addition, it has been reported that patients who suffer hernia mesh complications often experience severe pain and develop dental problems.

A more serious consequence of hernia mesh infection is the formation of biofilms, which are highly organized colonies of bacteria. Biofilms are highly resistant to antibiotics, and can only be treated when the defective hernia mesh is removed.

Even though these very serious complications exist, Jason claims C.R. Bard allegedly failed to warn the general public. At all times relevant, Jason and his physician had relied on the product information and marketing materials provided by C.R. Bard for their decisions.

Jason states that he would not have agreed to have Ventralex mesh for his hernia repair if he had known the risk of hernia mesh infection.

This Hernia Mesh Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-00707-EAS-CMV, in the U.S. District Court of Southern Ohio, Eastern Division.