Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Surgical Mesh Makers Sued by Thousands of Women
Lawsuits filed by thousands of women allegedly harmed by
surgical mesh implanted in their pelvic region will start being
heard this year by a U.S. federal court in West Virginia.
More than 6,000 federal lawsuits have been filed against
vaginal-mesh manufacturers by women who claim the porous, plastic
implants have caused them severe pain and suffering, the
Associated Pressreported. Most had the mesh inserted to
treat weak pelvic muscles, which can cause a prolapsed uterus,
meaning the uterus slips down into the vaginal canal.
The mesh received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for
pelvic organ prolapse in 2002. Similar mesh products had been used
for decades in other surgeries, including hernia repair. Based on
those earlier implants, the FDA approved the pelvic mesh without
requiring the tests normally needed for new devices, according to
the
AP.
In 2008, the FDA acknowledged problems with the pelvic mesh, and
in 2011 it said as many as 10 percent of women were experiencing
trouble within 12 months of implantation. In some cases, the mesh
shifted, eroded or led to infections, the news agency reported.
Besides the 6,000-plus cases consolidated in West Virginia,
state courts have received thousands of similar lawsuits. Last
July, a case against vaginal-mesh maker C.R. Bard resulted in a
$5.5. million award to a California woman.
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