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Medical Devices
Can You Get Another Hernia After Mesh Repair?
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Quick Insights
- One can get another hernia after a mesh repair procedure, with the likelihood of recurrence being higher if the mesh is defective.
- Meshes are the most common devices used in hernia repair procedures despite the number of adverse health effects they are known to cause.
- If you or a loved one has suffered any complications from a defective hernia mesh, contact Tosi Law to discuss your eligibility for financial compensation
Yes, you can get another hernia after undergoing a mesh repair procedure. This is called a recurrent hernia, and it’s even more likely to occur if your hernia mesh is defective or if it is one of the many hernia mesh products that were recalled.
Overview of Hernias
Hernias occur when an organ pushes through a weak spot in the muscle or connective tissue surrounding it. This usually happens due to a combination of muscle weakness and strain.
Pressure from activities like heavy lifting, coughing, or sudden movement can force an organ to press through the weakened location, resulting in a noticeable bulge. Typically, hernias cause discomfort and pain for the patient, especially when they increase the pressure in their abdomen as a result of repeating the aforementioned activities.
Hernias can occur in multiple areas of the body. The particular location of the condition determines its type.
Common Types of Hernia
- Inguinal – inner groin
- Femoral – upper thigh/outer groin
- Incisional – abdomen, through an incision or scar
- Ventral – abdominal/ventral wall
- Umbilical – belly button
- Hiatal – abdomen, inside, along the upper stomach/diaphragm
Pressure-Related Causes of Hernias
- Lifting heavy objects
- Obesity
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Persistent coughing/sneezing
Muscle-Weakening-Related Causes of Hernias
- Poor nutrition
- Smoking
- Overexertion
- Aging
How Doctors Treat Hernias
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), doctors perform more than one million hernia repairs every year. Of these, 800,000 are performed to remedy inguinal hernias.
There are both non-surgical and surgical approaches to treating hernias. Sometimes, the physician recommends “watchful waiting” to see if the hernia increases in size or starts to cause additional complications.
Surgical hernia treatments include laparoscopic and open repair.
With laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon makes several small incisions to repair the hernia, using a camera for visibility. In open-repair surgery, the surgeon repairs the weak muscle area through a larger incision near the hernia. In both cases, the surgeon may or may not choose to use a surgical mesh. If they elect to use sutures and no mesh, the surgery is called “primary closure” open repair.
The Role of Surgical Meshes in Hernia Repair
Doctors use a medical device called “surgical mesh” to strengthen or support weakened tissue after the hernia repair. By reinforcing the tissue, the chance for recurrence drops. Mesh devices are also known to reduce the time needed for operation and recovery.
Mesh sheets are constructed with various materials and have a variety of different properties. Synthetic meshes can be knitted or non-knitted and are absorbable, non-absorbable, or a combination of absorption types.
Other meshes are manufactured from animal tissue (usually pig or cow) and are always absorbable.
Different types of meshes remain in the body for different periods of time. Surgeons use non-absorbable meshes to permanently reinforce the repaired hernia, meaning that they are intended to remain in place forever.
Conversely, absorbable meshes degrade over time, and surgeons use them to provide reinforcement only while new tissue grows in the weakened area.
Complications Arising from Hernia Repair
Surgical hernia repair surgery can occasionally cause adverse health events for the patient. The most common of these complications depends on the type of repair that the surgeon used.
The most common complications of hernia mesh repair procedures using surgical mesh are:
- Pain
- Infection
- Hernia Recurrence
- Adhesion of scar-like tissue
- Bowel obstruction
Some complications can occur only when surgical mesh has been used:
- Mesh migration
- Mesh shrinkage/contraction
The following complications can arise from a hernia repair procedure regardless of whether hernia mesh has been used or not:
- Bleeding
- Fistula (abnormal connection between organs or vessels)
- Seroma (fluid build-up at incision area)
- Perforation (holes in surrounding organs and tissues)
Counterfeit Mesh Concerns
The above complications, including hernia recurrence, are often the result of defective mesh products. Many of these were reported to the FDA, which subsequently issued recalls for the offending devices.
In 2010, FDA investigations revealed the use of counterfeit polypropylene surgical mesh. Flat sheets of counterfeit C.R. Bard/Davol-branded mesh were marketed and distributed in the United States. RAM Medical initiated a voluntary recall of all the mesh sheets that had been sold to distributors, who, in turn, distributed the sheets to hospitals and other medical institutions.
These counterfeit meshes were not sufficiently sterile, had an ineffectively large weave, and their improperly finished edges risked unraveling after being implanted.
All potential recipients of the surgical mesh sheets were urged to examine their mesh products closely and to monitor patients in whom a counterfeit surgical mesh product was likely used.
Surgical Mesh Recalls
The FDA reports that many surgical mesh complications arise from recalled medical devices. The following complications are most commonly associated with recalled mesh products:
- Pain
- Infection
- Recurrence of hernia
- Adhesion
- Obstruction
- Perforation
The FDA urges healthcare personnel to report all adverse events related to hernia surgical mesh implants on MedWatch.
FDA Conclusions About Surgical Meshes
Although the FDA acknowledges that surgical meshes are currently “the system of choice for hernia repair,” with a “lower rate of recurrence,” the agency also indicates that mesh usage does not represent the “optimum method” of hernia repair.
Drawbacks relate mostly to the mesh’s chemical structure, which can result in adverse effects like infection, adhesion, and bowel obstruction. The FDA report on this topic indicates the need for a more ideal mesh construction with improved biocompatibility.
Tosi Law LLP Mass Tort Lawyers Can Represent You in a Defective Mesh Case
Tosi Law LLP is a mass-tort law firm that is currently accepting cases regarding complications from surgical hernias with mesh repairs. Call us today at 888-311-8292 for a free, no-obligation case review.
Call Tosi Law if You Have Questions
If you or a loved one has developed multiple myeloma or any other type of cancer after being exposed to Roundup, you could be entitled to compensation. Please call Tosi Law LLP at 888-311-8292 for more information. Our defective product lawyers are ready to help you file a Roundup lawsuit.
