Hernia Mesh Recall Lead To Concerns
Despite the incredible level of medical technological innovation that has taken place in the first decade of the 21st century, there continue to be an increasing number of product recalls.
Despite the incredible level of medical technological innovation that has taken place in the first decade of the 21st century, there continue to be an increasing number of product recalls. The problem with any innovation is that it possesses the great possibility that it will also cause unintended side effects. Or worse, that it will achieve that which it sets out to do, only to bring with it complications that are far worse than the original problem. This is especially true with certain medical products so far in the last decade.
Despite the numerous advancements that are beneficial, there has never been a time in recent history where our medical advancements caused more harm than the afflictions that they were designed to treat.
The recent legal suits against the makers of Accutane the acne drug, Yaz birth control and Paxil, the anti-depressant, paint a picture of an over-medicated society bearing the brunt of drugs and medical devices that are sometimes either rushed to market or not fully tested for defects. One more “innovation” can be added to this list. Davol, Inc., the makers of the Bard Composix Hernia Mesh Patch, is facing litigation from potentially thousands of plaintiffs centering on an alleged defective flaw in certain lots of their Kugel hernia mesh implants.
How the Hernia Mesh Implant Works
Dr. Robert Kugel developed a mesh implant that was intended specifically for patients who had just undergone hernia removal surgery. Following the surgical removal of a hernia, there is an increased build up of scar tissue where the hernia once was in the inner abdominal wall of the patient.
The problem with the scar tissue buildup is that it is not even or consistent, and it can prevent the weakened spots from healing properly and quickly. Kugel’s mesh implant intended to remedy this by grafting a flexible mesh patch directly onto the weakened area vacated by a hernia. The patch would then allow the area to heal quickly and effectively and prevent the buildup of uneven scar tissue.
Hernia Mesh Infections and Other Hernia Mesh Complications
Kugel’s mesh patch, critics have argured, posed a serious flaw in its construction. At the core of the implant is a memory recoil ring that, once implanted into a patient’s inner abdominal wall, snaps the mesh into place over the weakened spot.
Unfortunately, a number of these hernia mesh implants had defective memory recoil rings. Though they would “snap” the mesh into place, at some point later on, following surgery, the recoil rings would rupture completely. This caused the mesh part of the implant to split and tear, sending jagged pieces of the mesh jutting out into the abdominal cavity.
As a result, many patients who had the Kugel mesh implants suffered a number of serious complications, including punctured internal organs, perforated bowels, and the onset of numerous infections as a result of the failure of the mesh implants.
Resources:
Henry Anderson is the author of this article on Hernia Mesh Recall.
Find more information about Kugel Mesh Trial here.
