A growing number of plaintiffs who have been implanted with hernia mesh are reporting serious hernia mesh problems after surgery.

Symptoms of hernia mesh problems can become apparent immediately. But for other patients, these symptoms can take weeks, months or even years after the initial hernia repair to develop.

Hernia mesh is a flexible mesh device used to repair hernias. Many patients report that hernia mesh patches can become defective or broken, leading to serious or even fatal consequences.

Hernia Mesh Problems

Any medical device is expected to carry with it some problems and risks. Reports and studies of hernia mesh problems show that patients with these devices implanted face a risk of developing severe complications.

Indeed, one 2005 study published in Surgical Endoscopy showed that 42 percent of patients in a sample group suffered from infections after their hernia repair surgeries. In 18 percent of these patients, the hernia patch itself failed in its function, leasing to problems like pain, adhesions, and total rejection of the mesh implant.

Researchers involved in a 2007 study published in the Annals of the Royal Medical College of England recommend that doctors avoid the use of hernia mesh in certain hiatal hernias.

That study found that in these cases, 20 to 30 percent of patients suffer from hernia mesh failure, which can cause serious damage to the esophagus. Esophageal damage can require further surgery and may lead to permanent hernia mesh problems like digestive issues.

Common hernia mesh problems include, but are not limited to the following symptoms:

• Pain
• Internal bleeding
• Infection
• Fever, nausea, and vomiting
• Feeling bloated
• Inability to pass stools
• Erosion of the tissues surrounding the repair mesh
• A hematoma near the surgical site
• A lump near the surgical site
• The surgical site feeling hot

Hernia mesh problems can have serious or life-threatening effects, often necessitating further procedures like blood transfusions, antibiotic treatments, or surgery.

Of these hernia mesh problems, mesh-related infection affects between 1 and 8 percent of patients who undergo hernia repair with these devices.

Patients suffering from infection and inflammation due to hernia mesh generally show a number of symptoms, including pain, tenderness, swelling, fever, malaise, chills, or rigors.

A number of medical device manufacturers have hernia mesh products, many of which have been either recalled or taken off the market altogether.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Hernia Mesh Problems

As more and more hernia mesh patients are coming forward with reports of complications after their surgeries, more people are filing hernia mesh lawsuits against device manufacturers for causing these injuries.

If you or someone you love has suffered from hernia mesh problems like these after undergoing hernia repair, even months after the fact, you may be able to file a hernia mesh lawsuit and seek compensation for your injuries.

While filing a claim cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by hernia mesh problems, it can help to compensate for medical expenses and lost wages.