Transvaginal Mesh Claims Include Loss of Consortium

Portland, ORIt’s hard to imagine how a seemingly simple surgical procedure such as a transvaginal mesh implant for urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse could turn into a catastrophe - physically and financially. But that’s what happened to Lyn: as a result of TVM side effects, she is now disabled and had to apply for social security benefits.

Given the amount of transvaginal mesh lawsuits filed so far (more than 20,000 vaginal mesh lawsuits in multidistrict litigations underway in U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia alone), Lyn is just one of too many women whose lives have gone sideways because of transvaginal mesh complications.

“I have constant and debilitating pain, and for the past few years, I have been unable to partake in sexual relations with my husband,” Lyn says. “Last year I had a second surgery to repair my bladder due to the transvaginal mesh puncturing it and now I am told that the mesh has eroded into my vaginal wall. I had to quit my job because it hurts too much to move around much, and as a consequence, I filed for SSD. My husband, god bless him, has been so patient through all this but I don’t know how long our marriage will last like this.”

TVM has put more than a strain on relationships due to the mesh eroding and breaking through the vaginal wall. Some TVM lawsuits also allege loss of consortium.

“I am miserable and my partner is miserable,” says June. “Since I had this transvaginal mesh sling for incontinence problems, I have even worse issues. I constantly have vaginal infections with itching, a nasty discharge and inflammation. And I have full blast incontinence! Sex is out of the question.”

Steve and his wife have filed a transvaginal mesh lawsuit that includes loss of consortium. “My wife, Barbara, had trans-vaginal mesh implanted in 2008 for a bladder issue and she is presently involved in litigation with Bard and its Avaulta mesh,” says Steve. “We are also considering a lawsuit against the OBGYN who elected to use the mesh without warning us of its potential damage and risks - surely he must have known.”

It is possible that Barbara’s ob-gyn did not know of TVM side effects. Thousands of women have hired transvaginal mesh lawyers and filed lawsuits alleging injuries from vaginal mesh products and claiming that the manufacturers did not perform adequate testing or convey proper warnings to both patients and health professionals. Women who received allegedly defective transvaginal mesh products commonly seek damages for past and future medical expenses, lost wages, emotional distress, permanent disability and loss of consortium.