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Pelvic Mesh

A Pelvic Mesh medical device is inserted during surgery to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence (SUI). If complications arise it can cause devastating and debilitating injury. Women suffer from pain in the vagina, pain on intercourse, chronic nerve pain, inability to have sexual intercourse, recurrent infections and worsening of their condition. Many women are unable to continue working and relationships break down.

Pelvic Mesh for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) describes a variety of conditions that occur when one or more pelvic organs drop out of their normal position, often pushing into the vagina,
causing a bulge. The bladder can push into the front, or anterior, wall of the vagina causing a prolapse (a cystocele). The rectum can push into the back, or posterior, wall
of the vagina causing a prolapse (a rectocele). The uterus, or if the woman has had a hysterectomy the vaginal vault, can prolapse downwards into the vagina. In more
severe cases prolapses can protrude out of the vaginal opening.

Pelvic Mesh for Stress Urinary Incontinence

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is the involuntary leaking of urine when the bladder is under pressure. SUI is caused when the pelvic tissues, ligaments and muscles, which support the bladder and urethra, are weakened or damaged. The sphincter that closes the urethra then fails when under pressure and urine leaks out.

During surgery mesh can either be inserted through an incision in the vagina (transvaginal insertion) or through an incision in the abdomen (abdominal insertion).

Pelvic Mesh Problems

There are many adverse events following pelvic mesh surgery:

• pain; sometimes severe and chronic; we have clients with severe pain who require strong opioid painkillers just to function and who can neither stand nor sit comfortably;
• recurrent infections; women have described living in fear of antibiotic resistance due to being on a constant round of antibiotics for UTI’s
• mobility issues; in some cases due to nerve damage; some of our women have restricted lives. Crutches or wheelchairs are used by some women;
• recurring or new incontinence/urinary frequency;
• recurring or new prolapse;
• haemorrhage;
• bowel issues; including fistula formation, offensive discharge, difficulty defaecating, constipation, in some cases colostomy and ileostomy surgery;
• erosion of mesh; this can be into the vagina and/or other organs;
• sexual difficulties; including pain on intercourse and a loss of sex life;
• autoimmune issues; including fatigue, ‘brain fog’, skin complaints, hair loss, and swelling;
• psychological impacts; including depression, anxiety and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, social withdrawal, suicidal feelings, attempted suicide;
• Some patients have died due to mesh complications
• Mesh complications lead to: relationship and family breakdown, loss of employment, loss of a home, financial hardship.

If you have been affected by Pelvic Mesh and would like to discuss a potential claim in confidence then please get in touch with Dr Victoria Handley at vhandley@handleylaw.co.uk or call 0800 470 2009. We are an all female team who deal extensively with mesh related issues and gynaecological claims.