Australian women have reportedly won a class action lawsuit over transvaginal mesh against Johnson & Johnson. More than 700 different women were included as plaintiffs in this transvaginal mesh lawsuit, all of them complaining of complications with their pelvic mesh and tape products.

These women reportedly received these Johnson & Johnson products to treat childbirth-related complications. Many of those women alleged that they suffered debilitating pain after receiving the items despite thinking that the transvaginal mesh products would improve their overall health. The tape and mesh products were given to treat problems, such as stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. These are both common complications associated with childbirth.

Many of the women reported to their doctors shortly after receiving these items, however, that they were suffering from chronic and debilitating pain. Many noted that having intercourse was extremely painful or impossible and noted that there were psychological impacts from all of these side effects.

Some of the complications reported by the women in the transvaginal mesh lawsuit included infections, internal erosion of the product and more complications, making it difficult to remove from the body after it begins to cause problems.

The lawsuit stated that the transvaginal mesh devices were not properly tested for safety before going on the Australian market and the plaintiffs in the mesh lawsuit argue that Johnson and Johnson was aware of the problems and their potential for serious side effects and complications but continued to put the products on the market nonetheless.

The plaintiffs alleged that in communications to patients and doctors that the risks were significantly downplayed. Some of the patients reported that they had difficulty getting their symptoms taken seriously when they told their physicians about their serious pain.

Studies have shown that these devices could cause difficult to manage foreign body reactions and severe complications within patients. Some internal documents raised in the lawsuit indicated that Johnson & Johnson did have insight and information from people who had reviewed the product that it was dangerous and had the potential for serious side effects and symptoms.

The Australian regulatory agency’s insight has also been called into question as a result of these cases. The first hearings in Australia’s federal court began in the middle of 2017 and went on until February 2018. The mesh lawsuit is believed to be one of the biggest product liability class actions in Australia and mirrors many of the same complaints made by women in the United States.

Hundreds of thousands of women all over the world got the pelvic mesh implants but later discovered an array of severe and painful side effects. The devices named in these lawsuits and complaints have reportedly been banned in New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. However, some women might still have the devices from an earlier surgery and should monitor their condition closely to determine whether or not they need to see their doctor about a removal attempt.

If you or someone you know already had problems with your mesh insert and suffered pain and removal issues that you were not warned about, you could file a lawsuit.