The California Attorney General is the first state AG to file a lawsuit regarding the safety of pelvic mesh implants. The lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson began on July 12, 2019, and alleges that the company withheld information regarding risks associated with transvaginal mesh implants from doctors and patients.

California Johnson & Johnson Lawsuit

The Johnson & Johnson lawsuit is not the first lawsuit claiming that transvaginal mesh may be dangerous for patients. Many TVT mesh lawsuits have been filed regarding the devices since 2012. While most of these lawsuits have been filed by patients seeking compensation for injuries, pain, and suffering, the case filed by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s office claims that Johnson & Johnson violated California’s unfair competition and false advertising laws, according to the CVT Network.

According to the complaint, “J&J deceptively marketed its surgical mesh devices as safe with minimal risk when in fact these devices exposed women to a host of dangerous complications.” Additionally, the California AG’s office claims “J&J did this despite being urged by its own medical advisers and employees to warn doctors and patients of pain with intercourse, sexual dysfunction, and impact on quality of life.”

The lawsuit accuses the company of failing to warn the public about the dangers associated with these devices, such as issues with the Gynecare TVT Obturator System made by Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon, leading thousands of women to suffer painful and damaging side effects.

Transvaginal Mesh Uses

Transvaginal mesh is often implanted to treat conditions including pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. Pelvic organ prolapse may occur due to muscle weakening in the pelvic floor. This weakening can cause the bladder or uterus to shift downwards from their usual position. Implanting mesh may help to strengthen the area.

Stress urinary incontinence often occurs in women who have had children, and may result in women expelling urine after coughing, sneezing, laughing, or other activities.

Although mesh manufacturers and some surgeons claim, according to a report by the Associated Press, that these mesh implants are a safer and less invasive surgical option for women suffering from a variety of conditions, many patients claim that the devices simply cause more damage.

Side Effects of Transvaginal Mesh

Women have reported transvaginal mesh symptoms including debilitating pain, difficulty walking, pain during intercourse, fevers, nausea, weight loss, lethargy, and migration, breakage, or protrusion of the mesh. According to one woman who spoke to the Washington Post, her transvaginal mesh eroded into her vagina, resulting in injuries and pain.

Other women have reported chronic infections due to the mesh eroding or causing reactions with the patients’ tissue. At least one woman has died from sepsis due to complications from transvaginal mesh.

If you have suffered from complications after being implanted with transvaginal mesh, you may be able to hire an attorney and file a class action lawsuit in order to pursue compensation for your injuries, pain, and suffering, as well as the costs of medical expenses.

The California State Attorney’s Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuit is Case No: 37-2016-00017229-CU-MC-CTL in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Diego.