A woman has filed a lawsuit alleging she developed Prolene mesh complications after surgery to correct pelvic floor issues.

Plaintiff Barbara D. allegedly received an implant of Prolene mesh, which is made by Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

Pelvic mesh products are used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, but some patients have complained of Prolene mesh complications. 

Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when a woman’s muscles and tissues supporting the uterus, bladder or rectum become too weak to hold the organs in their proper place and is indicated when one or more of the organs from the pelvic region has dropped and is pressing out of the vagina.

Stress urinary incontinence is the accidental expulsion of urine and usually occurs when a woman coughs, sneezes, runs or lifts something heavy because all of these activities place pressure on the bladder.

The mesh is supposed to help hold the bladder and other organs in place.

Prolene mesh complications can be devastating. In the 1990s, gynecologists began using the surgical mesh products used to repair hernias to surgically repair prolapsed organs.

Pelvic mesh products are promoted to doctors and patients “as an innovative, minimally invasive procedure with minimal local tissue reactions, minimal tissue trauma and minimal pain while correcting vaginal prolapse, stress urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and/or rectocele.”

Patient brochures indicate that Prolene mesh complications are “rare” and “small,” but Barbara’s lawsuit alleges the complications are “common, permanent, and debilitating.”

Alleged Prolene Mesh Complications

Prolene mesh complications may be attributable to the materials used to make the mesh. The mesh is made of polypropylene, which Ethicon has claimed is an inert ingredient. According to Barbara’s lawsuit, scientific research indicates the mesh material is biologically incompatible with tissue and triggers an immune system response in many patients. The immune response allegedly promotes the mesh’s degradation.

Patients claim that other Prolene mesh complications occur because the mesh is implanted transvaginally, which allegedly allows the mesh to pick up bacteria, yeast, and fungus on its way into the body. When these contaminants adhere to the mesh, they purportedly cause immune reactions, subsequent tissue breakdown, adverse reactions, and injuries.

The Prolene mesh product is placed by the doctor “blindly,” which plaintiffs claim can result in nerve damage or damage to internal organs. Other Prolene mesh complications can allegedly occur because the mesh’s design allows “strong amounts of friction between the mesh and the underlying tissue that subsequently cause that tissue to degrade, resulting in injury.”

The mesh itself can allegedly degrade over time, potentially causing internal tissue injuries. The mesh may also shed particles during implantation and after implantation. These fragments might cause an increased inflammatory response as the particles migrate and result in further injuries, patients claim.

Prolene mesh complications also can include matting of the mesh to areas of the vagina and pelvis, resulting in pain during intercourse, walking, having a bowel movement or other strain of the abdominal area.

If you or someone you love has suffered from Prolene mesh complications after surgery for pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence, you could be eligible to seek compensation through legal representation.

The Prolene Mesh Complications Lawsuit is Case No. 4:18-cv-006665-BRW, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Western Division.