A man has filed a hernia mesh symptoms lawsuit in Connecticut federal court over serious complications he suffered following the hernia mesh implantation at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Plaintiff Thomas M. filed the hernia mesh symptoms lawsuit demanding a jury trial. The lawsuit was filed on June 27, 2018.

According to the hernia mesh symptoms lawsuit, Thomas is a resident and citizen of the state of Connecticut. He says that on Sept. 24, 2014, he underwent ventral hernia repair surgery where he was implanted with a Ventralight ST Bard Mesh manufactured and sold by C.R. Bard Inc.

However, Thomas says that due to complications, he underwent recurrent ventral hernia repair surgery on July 10, 2016. According to the physician who had operated on his abdomen, he says that “the mesh had come detached from the abdominal wall and had encircled a loop of small bowel which was completely obstructed and a mass of dense adhesion … There was about a 6-inch piece of small bowel which was unretrievable form its involvement with the mesh and point of complete obstruction.”

The hernia mesh symptoms lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including manufacturing defect, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of implied warranty, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, violation of Connecticut product liability statute, and punitive damages.

Overview: Hernia Mesh Symptoms Lawsuit

Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against C.R. Bard Inc. and its subsidiary Davol Inc., accusing them of surgically implanting consumers with defective hernia mesh implants leading them to suffer severe adverse side effects and complications. Some adverse side effects have included severe pain and abdominal deformity. The Bard mesh became approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the 510(k) premarket review process on July 15, 2010.

According to complaints filed against the companies, public statements made by the defendants have stated that the device was safe for its intended use. However, side effects have been reported in association with the patch that is comprised of polypropylene, a petroleum-based plastic. Patients claim this patch has come to cause severe complications and adverse health consequences. Complications reported in conjunction with its implantation have included infection, mesh erosion, abscesses, chronic pain, organ perforation, bleeding, inflammation, nerve damage, bleeding, and recurrent hernias.

According to the complaint, the coating of the ST Bard Mesh is “cytotoxic, immunogenic, and not biocompatible, which causes or contributes to complications such as delayed wound healing, inflammation, foreign body response, rejection, infection, and other complications.”

Implantations of the device have had high failure rates, complication and high injury rates, the complaint filed against the defendants have said. The hernia mesh device has repeatedly failed to perform as intended, requiring additional surgeries to be performed.

According to the lawsuit, moreover, “When affixed to the body’s tissue, the impermeable coating of the ST Mesh prevents fluid escape, which leads to seroma formation, and which in turn can cause infection or abscess formation and other complications.”

The Hernia Mesh Symptoms Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-01089-JCH, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.