A woman from Georgia has added her own vaginal mesh lawsuit to the current multidistrict litigation against Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson over complications associated with their implantable pelvic mesh.

Plaintiff Katie C. of Georgia filed one of the most recent vaginal mesh lawsuits in the MDL. She claims she experienced serious vaginal mesh complications soon after having both the TVT pelvic mesh and Mersilene pelvic mesh products implanted.

After reviewing Johnson & Johnson’s marketing materials, Katie says she opted for both Ethicon vaginal mesh products and had them implanted on Sept. 20, 2005. Katie needed these vaginal mesh products to treat either her pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and had no reason to be concerned over potential complications.

According to her vaginal mesh lawsuit, Katie had only used the product for its intended purpose and had followed all physician’s instructions. Even with her diligence Katie still sustained personal permanent injuries, each of which were allegedly not mentioned on the products’ warning labels.

Katie’s claim is one of many in a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL), consisting of complaints of women who have each filed their own vaginal mesh lawsuit. Each of the complaints in this MDL allege serious vaginal mesh complications, some of which have caused the claimants to undergo revision surgery to have their mesh removed. Each claimant in the MDL has filed her own vaginal mesh lawsuit, and this group of individual claims has been consolidated into a single litigation in a single court.

Overview of Vaginal Mesh Complications

Vaginal mesh products have been popularly used for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) use since the 1990s, after gynecologists began using surgical mesh originally designed for hernia repair to repair pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.

After noticing the popularity for this use, manufacturers began developing vaginal mesh products specifically designed to treat POP and SUI. However, it was not long until many women reported vaginal mesh problems, and these complications became widespread concern.

The FDA first warned against vaginal mesh complications on Oct. 20, 2008, when the agency issued a public health notice after receiving over 1,000 different vaginal mesh injury reports within a three year period. The FDA issued a later warning on July 13, 2011, warning women that suffering vaginal mesh complications is “not rare.”

The agency released this warning after reviewing numerous injury reports and recent scientific studies. While reviewing different vaginal mesh options, Ethicon Inc. allegedly presented marketing materials that presented all the products’ benefits while reportedly skimming over possible side effects.

Some vaginal mesh complications listed in injury reports include: mesh erosion, infection, device failure, and organ rupture. Many women who experience vaginal mesh complications are forced to undergo revision surgery to have their implants removed. Surgical removal of vaginal mesh is considered riskier than the initial implant surgery. Significant ingrowth of tissue in or around the implant can increase the risk of complications associated with revision surgery for vaginal mesh.

Due to the marketing materials presented, neither Katie nor her physician had any reason to expect complications. Even though Katie only used these products for their intended purpose, she still reportedly sustained permanent personal injuries and had to undergo intense medical treatment.

Katie opted to file for a vaginal mesh lawsuit alleging Ethicon Inc. and parent company Johnson & Johnson either knew or should have known about the potential vaginal mesh complications. Katie later joined MDL No. 2327, where her vaginal mesh lawsuit will stand alongside other product liability claims alleging similar injuries.

Katie states that she never would have opted for the company’s vaginal mesh products, if she had known the severity of the potential complications.

This Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-03282, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.