Vaginal mesh is a hot topic in the press at the moment.
Although vaginal mesh is a common procedure and has been for a while, in recent years, it has come under scrutiny. Thousands of women have come forward and reported that they are suffering from traumatic complications following their surgery.
What is vaginal mesh?
If you don’t know what vaginal mesh is, it is an implant that’s used to treat health issues such as pelvic organ prolapses (womb, bowel or vagina) and hernias, and many women have had vaginal mesh inserted to treat urinal incontinence after childbirth. Surgeons treat these health issues by placing a piece of mesh under the urethra to act as a sling.
What are the risks?
Many women who have had vaginal mesh surgery are now living in excruciating pain because of their mesh implants. In some cases, the damage is life-changing and is irreversible. Here are some of the complications these women have reported:
- Chronic pain
- Bleeding
- Bladder perforation
- Bladder infection
- Vaginal erosion or scarring
- Bowel and nerve trauma
- Difficulty or inability to walk
- Incontinence
- Mesh erosion.
You may ask, why did these women agree to have vaginal mesh surgery when they knew the risks involved? But that’s the problem. Most of these women weren’t made aware of the risks and complications associated with vaginal mesh surgery. They were promised that mesh surgery would fix their health issue and weren’t offered any non-surgical alternatives, such as pelvic floor training, bladder training programmes or medicines to treat overactive bladders.
What should you do if you’re unhappy with your surgery
After years of campaigning, the government is finally acknowledging the pain these women are in and are investigating the concerns about vaginal mesh. But, if you have experienced complications and are suffering as a result of vaginal mesh surgery, there’s plenty of support out there.
If you google ‘support groups for vaginal mesh surgery’, you’ll be able to find a network of people to contact who are in the same position as you. There are lots of resources where you can find help and advice about what you should do next.
There is also the option to take legal action. If you have been injured as a result of vaginal mesh surgery, you may be entitled to make a vaginal mesh claim for compensation. If you wish to go down this road, the first thing you should do is contact your GP. They’ll be able to determine whether your pain is caused by the mesh surgery. If your GP confirms that the mesh is the cause of your pain, the next step is to get in touch with a lawyer. However, the pain must have started within three years of the date you had your mesh surgery to be able to claim.
Hopefully, after reading this, you will have more of understanding of vaginal mesh surgery and the risks involved. If you are experiencing complications following your surgery, I hope that this will help you to understand what to do next and not be afraid to seek legal advice.
Author Bio: Thompsons Solicitors has a team of mesh lawyers who are acting on behalf of clients who have suffered as a result of mesh implants. They have a wealth of experience in running, and winning, vaginal mesh claims and work with support groups to campaign for change.
No Comments