POP surgery vaginal mesh lawsuits atlanta ga

Transvaginal mesh is used to treat various health conditions cause by weakened pelvic muscles. The FDA categorizes mesh products into four categories:

• Non-absorbable synthetic. This type of mesh is considered a permanent implant because it will remain in the body indefinitely. More than half of all mesh products approved by the FDA fall into this category. These products are made from synthetic materials like plastic or polyester. Polypropylene is the most popular material for manufacturers, and 91 percent of non-absorbable synthetic mesh is made of this plastic.
• Absorbable synthetic. Absorbable mesh loses strength and degrades over time and is not intended as a long-term treatment. Ideally, the patient’s new tissue growth at the implant site helps to keep the repair strong.
• Biologic. These mesh products are natural and derived from animal tissue that has been specially disinfected for implanting in the human body. These products degrade over time and are usually made from cow (bovine) or pig (porcine) tissue.
• Composite. This mesh is made from a combination of any of the above three categories.

Manufacturers weave synthetic mesh materials together in several different shapes, depending on their intended use. When the fibers are woven together, pores are created on the surface of the material. According to the FDA, lightweight, large-pore mesh reduces the body’s inflammatory response.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)

Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when organs sag or fall into the vaginal canal because of weak pelvic muscles. Transvaginal mesh serves as a hammock beneath the organs to hold them up. Usually, the bladder, uterus, rectum or bowel is involved in the prolapse; the bladder is the most common organ affected. Depending on the organs involved, surgeons may place the piece of mesh on the front, back or top wall of the vagina. The type of mesh used also varies in shape and size.

This type of surgery is usually performed transvaginally. In fact, three out of four surgeries to treat POP with mesh were done transvaginally in 2010.

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)

Stress urinary incontinence occurs when the bladder leaks urine during moments of increased physical activity that increases pressure on the bladder. The mesh is used to support the urethra when pelvic muscles weaken.

Surgical treatment of SUI with mesh – usually called a bladder sling or vaginal tape – is the most common type of surgery used to correct the condition, and 80 percent of SUI mesh surgeries in 2010 were done through the vagina. Doctors use transvaginal placement of bladder slings because it is considered less invasive and the incisions are smaller.

Hysterectomy

After a hysterectomy, some women suffer from vaginal vault prolapse – where the vagina collapses in upon itself because of the removal of the uterus. Mesh is surgically implanted on the top of the vagina and sewn into connective tissues to hold the vagina in place.