Kugel Mesh Patch Leads to Lawsuit

. By Heidi Turner

A lawsuit has been filed in Rhode Island against the makers of the Composix Kugel Mesh Patch claiming the patch failed after it was implanted, causing severe pain in a hernia patient. The patient eventually required bowel dissection surgery to remove the patch.

Lawyers for the plaintiff argue that he suffered from abdominal tenderness and developed a second hernia after his Kugel Mesh Patch was inserted. It was during the surgery to repair the second hernia that doctors discovered the patch was stuck to the patient's bowel. This required a bowel dissection to remove the patch from his bowel, resulting in chronically inflamed bowels. Lawyers claim that Davol Inc., knew of the possibility of failure in the Kugel Mesh Patch but failed to properly warn the public of the dangers.

The plaintiff had the Kugel Mesh Patch implanted in 2004. His patch was not included in the initial patch recall, carried out on December 22, 2005, but was included in the updated recall announced March 31, 2006.

The patch is inserted through a small incision and is placed behind the hernia. A "memory recoil ring" is used to keep the patch closed until after it has been inserted in the body. The purpose of the patch is to prevent the hernia from pushing through weakened tissue walls, specifically in cases when stomach muscles are too weak for surgery to repair the hernia. However, the "memory recoil ring" can break under the stress of placement in the body, resulting in bowel perforations and chronic intestinal fistulae.

The Composix Kugel Mesh Patch is manufactured by Davol Inc., a subsidiary of C.R. Bard, Inc. Surgeons and doctors have been advised by the company to stop using the recalled Kugel Mesh Patches and return any unused devices to the company.

If you have had a Kugel Mesh Patch used to repair a hernia and suffer from abdominal pain, fever, painful bulges, or tenderness at the implant site, contact your doctor immediately to discuss your concerns.


Composix Kugel Mesh Patch Legal Help

If you or a loved one has suffered bowel perforation, chronic enteric fistulae or any post-surgery complaint due to the Kugel Mesh patch, please contact a [Composix Kugel Mesh Patch] lawyer who will evaluate your claim at no charge.