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A torn or ripped hernia mesh implant is a serious complication of hernia repair surgery. It is a painful experience that can lead to other injuries. 9 common signs or symptoms of ripped mesh include:
- Bowel obstruction
- Chronic pain
- Fistula formation
- Hernia recurrence
- Infection
- Organ or tissue perforation
- Mesh migration
- Meshoma (tumor-like bodies resulting from bunched up mesh)
- Nerve damage.
If the mesh used in your hernia repair surgery was defective and caused the mesh to tear or rip, then if you suffered injury, you may be entitled to file a lawsuit as to the hernia mesh injuries. Here, our product liability and personal injury attorneys outline what you need to know about hernia mesh implants that tear or rip after surgery.
- 1. What is a torn or ripped hernia mesh device?
- 2. What causes a hernia mesh implant to tear or rip?
- 3. What complications are caused by the hernia mesh tearing or ripping in the body?
- 4. What are the symptoms or signs of torn or ripped hernia mesh?
- 5. How is torn or ripped hernia mesh diagnosed?
- 6. Will you need to have another surgery?
- 7. Are there mesh products more known to tear or rip than others?
- 8. When should you contact a personal injury lawyer?
1. What is a torn or ripped hernia mesh device?
A torn or ripped hernia mesh device is a mesh implant that has been inserted as part of a hernia repair operation and, while inserted in the body, the device tore apart or otherwise ripped. This can lead to serious complications that may entitle you to compensatory damages if:
- the mesh was found to be defective; or
- the surgeon or another medical professional negligently inserted the mesh.
2. What causes a hernia mesh implant to tear or rip?
There are a number of reasons why mesh may tear or rip inside the body, but the overarching cause is a defective mesh product.
3. What complications are caused by the hernia mesh tearing or ripping in the body?
The complications of torn mesh can vary greatly, depending on the location and type of mesh product. Generally speaking, torn mesh is a sign of mesh failure and will likely need to be removed. If not — and if it has not already, it could cause the following 9 symptoms:
- Bowel obstruction
- Chronic pain
- Fistula formation
- Hernia recurrence
- Infection
- Organ or tissue perforation
- Mesh migration
- Meshoma (tumor-like bodies resulting from bunched up mesh)
- Nerve damage.
These injuries could require extensive long-term pain management and some could become life-threatening.
4. What are the symptoms or signs of torn or ripped hernia mesh?
The symptoms or signs of a torn or ripped hernia mesh implant are similar to mesh failure symptoms, which includes:
- Bloating and/or an inability to pass stools or gas
- Fever when its cause is unknown
- Chills, nausea, and/or vomiting
- Warm or hot skin where the incision occurred
- The wound from surgery is not healing in due time
- Fluid buildup at the site of the surgery, known as seromas
- Bulging in the area of the hernia
- Mild to severe pain
- Chronic pain.
If you have had hernia repair surgery with mesh anytime in the past and you have any of these symptoms without a known cause, you want to see your doctor about it.
5. How is torn or ripped hernia mesh diagnosed?
You should always see your doctor as soon as you start experiencing any of the above symptoms, especially when:
- the symptoms seem to have no known cause; and
- you have had hernia repair surgery previously, regardless of when the repair surgery occurred (e.g., one month ago or ten years ago).
Diagnosis is difficult. The doctor may need to take x-rays, a CT scan, or another imaging method to identify with certainty that the symptoms you are experiencing are related to the hernia mesh implant.
6. Will you need to have another surgery?
Yes. When the implant tears or rips, it often proceeds to migrate or then erode. All these things can cause further damage. Mesh removal surgery will be required to reduce the amount of injury and to repair and treat the injuries already sustained from the torn mesh.
7. Are there mesh products more known to tear or rip than others?
Not all hernia mesh implants are alike. Some have proven to be more susceptible to tearing or ripping than other types of hernia mesh implants. Two designs in particular are Ethicon’s Physiomesh and Covidien – Medtronic’s Parietex.
7.1 How does Ethicon’s Physiomesh tear or rip?
The Physiomesh uses a plastic known as polypropylene. It is a lightweight version of the plastic material that tears rather easily. Some mesh have been known to be torn as soon as it came out of the package while others tear during the operation or later, after it has been implanted. When the ripping happens after surgery, that’s when the complications occur.
7.2. How does Covidien – Medtronic Parietex tear or rip?
The Parietex mesh was Covidien’s first polyester hernia mesh, and unlike the Physiomesh, the Parietex is a heavy-weight mesh. The polyester has a tendency to shrink and contract.
When the polyester shrinks and contracts in the body, it pulls, increasing tension at the site where the sutures or tacks were placed to secure the mesh. After some time, the mesh eventually tears or rips and then migrates to other parts of the body, where it continues to cause injury.
8. When should you contact a personal injury lawyer?
If you have had hernia repair surgery and subsequently suffered a torn mesh implant, you may wonder why it happened to you. But you are not alone. Hernia mesh implants have harmed thousands of patients throughout the United States. At Shouse Law Group, our personal injury lawyers have the compassion, resources, and insight to review your case, outline your options, and prepare a comprehensive lawsuit on your behalf. SEO Controls (Optional)
We have offices throughout California, Nevada, and Colorado, but — with regard to hernia mesh lawsuits — we represent clients throughout the United States. To learn more about hernia mesh lawsuits and to find out if you may qualify, contact Shouse Law Group today.