Boston Injury Lawyer Blog
Johnson & Johnson has sent a letter to judges in West Virginia and New Jersey letting them know that it intends to stop selling the surgical mesh implants. However, J & J maintains that this decision is a result of “changing market dynamics” rather than “safety or efficacy” and that that the implants are safe for use. The manufacturer has been named in hundreds of products liability lawsuits by women claiming personal injuries.
In Massachusetts, our Boston injury lawyers are continuing to offer free case evaluations to women who have suffered serious injuries and other health complications after being implanted with a vaginal mesh device. Contact Altman & Altman LLP to ask for your free case evaluation.
It is J & J’s Ethicon division that will be discontinuing the sale of four kinds of mesh implants that are generally used to treat urinary incontinence:
• Gynecare TVT Secure system • Gynecare Prolift • Gynecare Prosima • Gynecare Prolift + M
It is important to note that Johnson & Johnson isn’t the only mesh device maker. Other manufacturers include C.R. Bard, Boston Scientific, and W.L. Gore & Associates.
Mesh implant products are also used to stabilize the pelvic wall in the event of pelvic organ prolapse. POP can happen when the tissues in that area become stretched or weak, causing the bladder, rectum, uterus, and/or the vaginal apex to fall into the vaginal area. However, The Food and Drug Administration has said that there has been no evidence showing that transvaginal mesh surgery is more effective than traditional surgery in the long run.
Furthermore there have been many transvaginal mesh lawsuits filed by women claiming to have suffered serious health complications from using a mesh implant. These side effects have included extreme pain, infection, urinary problems, bleeding, and dyspareunia. Mesh erosion was one reported cause for these health issues that, according to the Food and Drug Administration, occurred to 10% of patients within 12 months of the implant surgery.
More than 50% of the women that experienced this medical device problem had to undergo at least another surgery, if not more, to remove the mesh product. According to the Washington Post, one woman had to undergo 17 surgeries to get the mesh device out.
You may have grounds for a Massachusetts transvaginal mesh lawsuit.
Johnson & Johnson Unit to Halt Urinary Implants, New York Times, June 5, 2012
J & J will phase out women’s pelvic mesh linked to personal injury lawsuits, The Washington Post, June 5, 2012
More Blog Posts:
Another Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuit Filed Against Johnson & Johnson Over Serious Side Effects, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, May 17, 2012
Boston Products Liability?: FDA Considering Tougher Review Process for Mesh Products, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, August 30, 2011
Defective Medical Device?: Transvaginal Mesh to Treat Pelvic Organ Prolapse May Cause Health Complications, Warns FDA, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, July 15, 2011
