How Safe Is Surgical Mesh For Hernia?

Hernia is one of the most common disorders that are known to be disrupting normal lives. The condition occurs when the intestines or other organs push through the wall of muscle and fibre beneath them. Surgical mesh is the most commonly used treatment. But is it safe? If not, why is it implanted?

To treat the disturbing condition of hernia, surgical mesh products are used since more than few decades. Surgeons have been recommending use of loosely woven sheet of surgical mesh – either synthetic or derived from animal tissues.

It’s been in recent years, however, that there are questions emerging about the safety of surgical mesh. Are they really safe?

Is hernia mesh safe?

To jump right on the point, hernia mesh can’t be declared hundred percent safe. Some mesh products used in hernia repairs caused complications in several patients and have been recalled by the US Food and Drug Administration since March 2010.

Why was it still recommended?

Hernia mesh was reportedly unsafe and caused several adverse effects to patients. Why was it still used? The main benefit of using mesh to repair a hernia is to give support to a wider area around the opening to minimize the chance of recurrence, if at all.

What are the potential risks?

The general risk of recurrence after hernia repair surgery can be classified as:

•          High: Stitches without mesh
•          Medium: Stitches with biologic mesh
•          Low: Stitches with synthetic mesh

Adverse effects of surgical mesh repair:

Pain

Infection

Hernia recurrence

Scar-like tissue that sticks tissues together (adhesion)

Blockage of the large or small intestine (obstruction)

Bleeding

Abnormal connection between organs, vessels or intestines (fistula)

Fluid build-up at the surgical site (seroma)

List of recalled hernia mesh:

If you have been implanted with a mesh, or been recommended a surgical meshsurgery, it is important for you to know beforehand whether your mesh device was recalled by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Some of the common hernia mesh recalls since 2005 are:

Bard and Davol recalled Composix Kugel mesh

Ethicon Proceed Surgical Mesh

Atrium Medical Corporation C-QuR V-pack Mesh

Ethicon Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh

Atrium Medical Corporation’s ProLite Mesh

Sofradim Production Versatex Monofilament Mesh

Bard and Davol recalled Composix Kugel mesh

Ethicon Proceed Surgical Mesh

Why were these products recalled?

FDA normally recalls a product when there is a possibility of the product being defective – either in design or in manufacture – and that is might cause serious or even deadly health consequences. The main reasons why mesh devices were recalled by the FDA include:

•   Mislabelling of packaging documentation
•   Mesh being made from counterfeit materials
•   Design/manufacturer defects in the products

Common symptoms of hernia mesh rejection:

After any surgery, it is normal to face some pain and discomfort. But in case of hernia mesh repair, if you are facing problems health wise, it is better to check if your body is rejecting the mesh implant. The most common hernia mesh rejection symptoms are:

•          Debilitating abdominal pain
•          Extreme fatigue
•          Irritable bowel syndrome
•          Flu-like symptoms including fever and chills
•          Redness and inflammation near the incision site
•         Nausea
•          Vomiting

In case you are facing any or few of these complications, it is urgent to see a doctor. Additionally, it is equally important to check with a legal support too to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the device.

Visit: http://herniameshrecall.net for more information.