Surgical mesh products have been used in hernia repairs for decades but in recent years, there has been an increasing number of reports of complications, including hernia mesh failure.
Hernia mesh failure can occur for many reasons, including when the materials within the hernia mesh trigger the immune system and cause the body to reject the implant. Mesh implant rejection can lead to severe life-threatening side effects.
You may know if your hernia mesh failed if you suffer symptoms like abdominal pain, inflammation near the incision site, fistula formation, nausea, persistent fever, and vomiting. According to the FDA, many of the complications implant patients have experienced came from recalled mesh products that are no longer on the market.
Are some hernia mesh products more prone to rejection by the patient's body than other implants? Yes, these complications are especially common with certain types of mesh. In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a Class I recall on a counterfeit surgical mesh.
For instance, Atrium’s C-Qur hernia mesh has been recalled for myriad reasons. The mesh made of polyethylene plastic and coated with Omega-3 fatty acid fish oil has been found not to be biologically compatible with human tissue.
Some patients had to undergo surgery to remove the mesh, which the body perceives as foreign matter, while others experienced severe anaphylactic reactions to the fish-based coating.
Another problem stemmed from the issue that Atrium Medical Corp. used a chemical designed to keep the mesh product sterile within its packaging. The chemical required a certain level of moisture to keep the substance an active means of preventing infection. Because too many of the packages dried out, the chemical was unable to effectively prevent infection and also caused the fish oil coating to lose adherence to the hernia mesh.
Hernia mesh failure is a serious complication that can happen for a number of reasons, but a defective mesh design or poor choice of mesh material, respectively, were the most common reasons. You can file a defective hernia mesh claim if you’ve endured complications after the hernia mesh surgery. Call Atraxia Law today so we can help you learn about your rights. Our prompt action could make a difference in the outcome of your claim.