ABOUT THE DEVICES
Hernia mesh medical devices are commonly manufactured by several major international corporations, including: C.R. Bard; Atrium Medical Corp; Ethicon, Johnson & Johnson; B. Braun Melsungen, AG; Gore Medical; LifeCell Corporation; and Medtronic. The devices are designed to repair or prevent tissue or internal organs from protruding through weak or torn abdominal muscles, the navel, groin, or diaphragm. The only method or addressing hernias is through surgical intervention and greater than one million repairs are performed each year. Although a hernia mesh is not required to prevent recurrence, it is the stand of care and a preferred method by many doctors.
Hernia mesh products are sold in several shapes, including: sheets, patches and plugs. The devices can also be absorbable or not, and may be coated or not.
PURPOSE OF THE PRODUCTS
Hernia mesh medical devices are the standard of care for repair of certain types of abdominal hernias. They are designed to repair and prevent tissue or organs, such as the intestines, to bulge through weak areas or tears in the abdominal muscles.
WARNINGS
In 2014 The FDA issued warnings and several manufacturers have issues recalls based on adverse events, packaging and other serious issues.
SAFETY ISSUES
Multiple independent studies between 2009 and 2016 have identified dangerous risks and failure rates over 30%. These independent studies performed by respected clinicians and researchers and published in peer reviewed medical journals including: Journal of the American College of Surgeons and the Journal of the American Medical Association describe products that cause harmful infections, further surgical intervention, harm and added risk with little or no benefit compared to newer better designed alternatives.
HOW BRAMZON LAW FIRM PLLC CAN HELP
Recent successful lawsuits have alleged that C.R. Bard; Atrium Medical Corp; Ethicon, Johnson & Johnson; and others knew of the risks associated with the hernia mesh products they were heavily marketing. C.R. Bard has already settled a group of approximately 2,000 claims for $184 million, with more cases being filed each month.
If you have had a hernia mesh product surgically implanted and have suffered from injuries or are concerned that you may have undiagnosed injuries, contact us immediately for a no cost case evaluation. You may be entitled to compensation. The irresponsibility on the part of these manufacturers is egregious; consumers and their families should understand the risks and how to protect themselves.