Hernia mesh is a medical device used temporarily or permanently to provide additional support to a damaged tissue around the hernia during the healing process. A hernia occurs in the body when an intestine or tissue slips through a weak section in the surrounding muscle area. Anybody can have a hernia. Numerous hernia surgeries occur every year, and most of these surgeries involve hernia mesh implants.
Mesh is mainly considered as a safe and acceptable standard care, but it can also be harmful as it’s a foreign body inside the body, and complications can occur. As a result, not all hernia mesh implants are successful.
There are several cases of patients experiencing surgical mesh failure, with varying symptoms, and causing severe and permanent damages. Some of the symptoms of a failed hernia mesh procedure include severe pain, bulging, bowel obstruction, erectile dysfunction, tearing, and infection, among others.
Here are the things you can do if you suspect a hernia mesh failure after an implant procedure:
- Consult Your Medical Team
If you think your hernia mesh implant wasn’t successful, you’re beginning to suffer from its side effects, or having an unusual feeling within your body, don’t be quiet about it. Inform your doctor about your symptoms. The doctor will scan and examine you to confirm your symptoms and if it’s really hernia mesh failure.
If your doctor certifies you to be healthy and without complications, you’re still advised to seek more medical practitioners as your doctor may not be well versed in the area. Consulting your doctor immediately after suspecting a hernia mesh failure will lead to early detection. Early detection can prevent it from escalating, which may incur more expenses for you, especially if you don’t have insurance or a steady source of income.
Besides, your doctor should be able to provide you with cause, effects, and treatment options for the failed mesh implant.
- File A Complaint
Get ready to file a complaint if you have tangible evidence to prove that your hernia mesh surgery wasn’t done properly. A hernia mesh failure is often due to a faulty mesh product or medical negligence, leading to severe side effects.
A hernia mesh failure can be categorized as medical malpractice or a product liability case, depending if it’s medical negligence or a faulty mesh product. It’s advisable to hire lawyers specialized in handling hernia mesh failure cases. If you don’t have any, you can type in keywords such as ‘hernia mesh lawsuit lawyers near me’ on the Internet for you to find an experienced lawyer.
Such an attorney will help you obtain the proper evidence acceptable in the court of law for your case to be justified. Obtaining evidence is often challenging with mesh cases. You should be ready to cooperate with your lawyer by providing the necessary details of your hernia mesh implant journey and the aftermath.
- Removal Of Hernia Mesh
Removal of hernia mesh is an alternative solution to correct a failed procedure that can’t be treated with medications. A hernia mesh is supposed to help support your healing process. but may do otherwise if the procedure isn’t done properly or a faulty product is used for you. In such cases, it may be considered a case worthy of a lawsuit.
There are many mesh manufacturers who claim to have credible medical devices, but, in reality, they actually sell fake or substandard products. Many of these defective products may result in complications in patients they’re being used for, which could lead to further injuries, more severe pain, and, of course, more expenses.
In the process of consulting your doctor, there’ll be proper scrutiny of the hernia used. Cases where removal of the hernia mesh is considered the best option include when the mesh fails and tears, or when there’s an improper on-lay, inlay, or overlay placement of the mesh.
- Hernia Mesh Revision Surgery
Hernia mesh revision surgery is also an alternative solution for an initial mesh implant failure. It’s performed due to complications resulting from a former hernia mesh repair surgery. Your doctor will decide if your mesh complications require another surgery to correct the incompetency of the previous one.
Revision surgery isn’t recommended in just any hernia mesh failure case. You have to be experiencing severe and persistent symptoms from mesh implant complications that can’t be fixed with medications.
Revision surgery is actually a riskier and more complex surgical process because it’s no longer the regular hernia mesh implant, so you need to discuss your complications closely with various medical teams before opting for revision surgery. The former mesh has to be removed before another surgery can be performed.
Conclusion
Hernia mesh failure can cause complicated side effects to patients even after many years of the implant. Device failure, medical complications, and doctor’s negligence are usually the most common causes. If you think your mesh implant isn’t successful, visit your doctor for proper medical scrutiny and involve an experienced hernia mesh failure attorney to get the appropriate compensation you deserve.