A woman from Texas alleges a Johnson & Johnson hernia mesh device caused her to develop serious and permanent injuries. The hernia mesh lawsuit claims the Proceed Ventral Patch is defective in nature, and should not have been recommended for patients.

Plaintiff Carey M. says she had the hernia mesh device implanted on April 4, 2012 for ventral hernia repair, with the claim indicating that there were no initial complications from the surgery. However, this allegedly changed not long after the surgery with the device complications eventually making revision surgery necessary.

According to the hernia mesh lawsuit, Carey had suffered debilitating pain, dense adhesion formation, bowel complications, mesh shrinkage, hernia recurrence, seroma formation, and infection. These complications reportedly occurred due to a prolonged inflammatory response caused by the lawyers of the Proceed Ventral Patch, including the degradation of polymers.

Carey reportedly had to undergo a second surgery on Dec. 28, 2012, due to hernia recurrence, with surgeons noting that the hernia mesh device had been in a “reasonable position, but the right side had been folded back upon itself a little bit. This probably contributed to the failure of the repair.”

Even with this revision surgery, Carey reportedly continues to suffer painful complications and is now at an increased risk for severe complications related to certain abdominal surgeries. Carey is currently suffering from severe pain, nausea, diarrhea, chills, inflammation, loss of appetite, and extreme weight loss.

These complications have severely impacted her quality of life and may require additional surgeries in the future.

Overview of Hernia Mesh Complications

Surgical mesh has been used for hernia repair for decades. These implants are designed to support weakened or damaged tissue.

Hernia mesh products are either absorbable, nonabsorbable, or a combination of both kinds of material. The absorbable options degrade and lose strength over time, and they are not intended for long term placement. Nonabsorbable material is meant for permanent placement and is supposed to lower the chances of hernia recurrence. 

Hernias occur when part of an organ or tissue, typically the intestine, forces itself through layers of abdominal muscle. The most common types of hernias involve the abdominal wall, with patients often feeling a bulge under their skin where the intestine or other tissues may have pushed through a weakened abdominal muscle area.

The hernia mesh products available are supposed to provide long term treatments and are supposed to prevent hernia recurrence, but this has been allegedly not been the case for many patients.

Numerous hernia mesh products are made with polypropylene layers, which are designed to initiate an inflammatory response. However, patients say this can sometimes cause an infection that can evolve into a number of serious health problems including seroma developments, adhesions, and other health problems mentioned in Carey’s hernia mesh lawsuit.

Even though these complications can be devastating to patients, Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon allegedly failed to warn patients. At all times relevant, Carey claims, she and her physicians had relied on the marketing materials and product information provided by the company.

Carey’s hernia mesh lawsuit ultimately alleges the Proceed Ventral Patch was unreasonably dangerous to patients and should not have been recommended to patients. Carey’s hernia mesh lawsuit is joining MDL No. 1827 and is seeking multiple damages including negligence and failure to warn.

This Hernia Mesh Device Lawsuit is Case No. LCV2019377349, in the Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division, Middlesex County.