A man has filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Ethicon, after he allegedly suffered injuries from the Prolene hernia system.

Plaintiff Richard J. says he was implanted with the Prolene hernia system in May 2010 to repair an incisional hernia in his abdomen. In June 2014, he alleges he underwent a mesh removal surgery with the Prolene hernia system that included the following:

• Small bowel resection x3 with extensive adhesiolysis
• Ventral hernia repair
• Bilateral tissue myocutaneous flaps
• Placement of biomesh for soft tissue defect of 15×20 centimeters
• Drain placement
• Complex wound closure

The surgeon purportedly found that adhesions were in the Prolene hernia system and involved three loops of Richard’s bowel. According to Richard’s complaint, his surgeon noted “that the mesh had grown into the bowel and the bowel had to be sacrificed to remove the mesh.”

Richard claims he continues to suffer from severe pain, severe stomach cramps, bowel obstructions and constipation, adhesions, scarring, nausea, stress, and anxiety.

Prolene Hernia System Allegedly Defective

The Prolene hernia system lawsuit alleges the Ethicon multi-layered hernia mesh is defectively designed and manufactured, which gave rise to the injuries suffered by Richard.

According to the complaint, the Prolene hernia system consists of two layers of polypropylene held together with a polypropylene tube. Ethicon allegedly marketed the design as an innovative way to prevent or minimize hernia recurrence and chronic pain, but Richard’s lawsuit alleges the design increased the inflammatory response.

The Prolene hernia mesh also allegedly induced the body to react to it as a foreign material that the body tried to reject. As a result, the mesh was inclined to stiffen, harden, contract, deform, migrate, induce adhesions, and cause chronic, severe pain.

The polypropylene material purportedly degrades inside the body, causing excessive inflammation and adverse foreign material reactions that lead to further problems with shrinkage, scarring, pain, and deformation of the mesh product. The Prolene hernia mesh’s design allegedly increases the risks of infections, organ injuries, hernia recurrence, adhesions, and other complications.

Richard’s complaint alleges Ethicon failed to test the Prolene hernia system adequately before placing it on the market, and that when it was introduced to the market, “it was in an unreasonably dangerous or defective condition.”

The Prolene hernia mesh’s use of heavyweight polypropylene in combination with a small pore size allegedly increases the severity and prolongs both the body’s inflammatory response and foreign material response.

Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon are accused of not adequately informing doctors or consumers of the potential complications and adverse side effects of using the Prolene hernia system. Richard says in his complaint that he would have never consented to its use had he known the risks of the multi-layered hernia mesh that he now blames for causing him severe physical, financial, emotional and other injuries.

The Prolene Hernia System Lawsuit is Case No. 5:18-cv-00292-JSM-PRL in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Ocala Division.