About Hernia Mesh & Why You Need to Contact a Hernia Mesh Lawyer

Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry Cochran

Hernias are problems that thousands of people suffer from every year. While some hernias may not cause harm to the person experiencing them, other forms of hernia can require specialized treatment and care. When surgery is needed to deal with a hernia, surgeons will use hernia mesh as part of the sealing process. However, this hernia mesh has been known to malfunction, and therefore, many patients who have received treatments with several brands of hernia mesh are now suing these companies. If you have been injured or inconvenienced by malfunctioning hernia mesh implants, call an experienced hernia mesh lawyer at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. for a no obligation consultation today.

What is a hernia?

There are a number of different kinds of hernia, but the most common hernia that is related to a failed hernia mesh surgery is a ventral hernia. A ventral hernia occurs when the muscles in the abdominal wall weaken, which creates an opening that allows other tissue and organs to squeeze through the layer of abdominal muscles, creating a bulging mass under the skin. This bulge is usually part of the intestine but can also be formed by other tissues.

A hernia like this may be caused by an incision from a surgical procedure that over time, did not heal correctly, creating the weak point for the organs and tissues to push through.

Hernia mesh materials

The four basic categories of mesh materials are gortex, plastic, collagen, and a composite. A composite mesh is the most common mesh used for hernia surgeries, and it has elements of both plastic and collagen or gortex meshes. This means that the gortex or collagen mesh insulates the organs from the plastic that could cause complications, while still adhering firmly to the abdominal wall.

However, if the mesh composite product does not properly insulate the intestinal tract from the plastic part of the mesh, problems like fistulas, adhesions, and infections can develop. These complications can require additional surgery.

Brands of hernia mesh that are being recalled

It is becoming increasingly clear that certain brands of surgical mesh hernia implants are causing more severe complications than others. These brands are the Bard Ventralex, the Ethicon Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh, the Atrium C-QUR Mesh, and the Alloderm Regenerative Tissue Matrix.

With the Bard Ventralex, any damage to the product while inside the body could allow the polypropylene in the product to come into contact with intestines or other organs, which could result in pain, adhesions, or fistulas.

The Ethicon Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh uses a coating called poliglecaprone, which is designed to serve as a protectant, but this compound can also cause an inflammatory response when used around soft tissue. This can cause complications like mesh rejection and migration, organ damage, adhesions, delayed wound closure, sepsis, infection, and even death.

The Atrium C-QUR Mesh, in addition to causing infections, intestinal blockage, mesh shrinkage, bleeding, rashes, and more, is made by a corporation that was sued by the FDA for unsanitary production conditions.

The Alloderm Regenerative Tissue Matrix has been linked to problems because the manufacturer failed to warn physicians about the need to pre-stretch the product because it can expand when implanted. Painful and debilitating complications can occur if the product expands in the body after implantation.

Final thoughts

If you have experienced these complications and have these types of hernia mesh in your body currently, call Cochran, Kroll & Associates P.C. expert Nurse and Trial Attorney Eileen Kroll at 866-MICH-LAW today. Her RN credentials mean that she is uniquely qualified to help people file lawsuits against hernia mesh manufacturers to get the compensation they need.

Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.