Hi all! Below is information collected by
our Hernia Forum Supporter, butterfly6169.
She has compiled useful information
regarding hernia mesh complications.
Please read this first, and then ask
questions on the forum.
**********************
SUFFERING FROM MESHES?
Many people are suffering from the meshes,
some have muscle weakness, fatigue, nerve
damage (neuropathy...nerve
entrapment),infections that set in the
mesh, the mesh is crumbling up, folding,
hardening, and so much more. Most suffer
in chronic pain.
Please do your homework, look into the
complications people are suffering in from
what these meshes are doing.
Not everyone has a problem with the
meshes, some people have the mesh put and
are doing great..they are the lucky ones,
for those of us who are suffering please
look into other options.
There are other ways to repair the
meshes...one way is called the sholdice
repair. Some other words to look up are
meshoma and neuroma.
Best Wishes
HOW TO FILE A REPORT
1. Check out the FDA MAUDE DATABASE (this
is to research the reports filed by people
and the outcome of what has happened to
them from the meshes)
In this section you will need to put in
mesh in the blank space were it says Brand
Name.......below it's says Manufacturer
you will put in Bard, Davol, Johnson &
Johnson (whoever made your mesh).
For the dates put 01/01/2000 to present.
If your mesh was put in before 2000 then
put that date in..Remember these are ONLY
reports that were filed by patients or
their attorneys, not the makers of the
mesh.
To the right it says begin click on that
and then you can begin filing your claim
with the FDA about your mesh
complications.
If you have the operative report it will
be helpful to have it for the lot number,
product number and maker of your mesh
along with the size, if you don't have it
you can still file the report with the
FDA.
(Your personal information name, address,
etc... do not show up on the public site,
that information is kept private with the
FDA)
You can get a copy of your operative
report from the hospital were you had the
operation.
for those who are still suffering from
complications from synthetic hernia mesh.
It is imperative that you file an adverse
event report this link will take you right
to the form www.fda.gov/medwatch
stand up and be counted there are
thousands of reports filed now. The FDA
does know there might be a problem and
they are investigating. Please do not be
shy, file your report.
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hbkshowstopper28
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 7
Posted: 04-20-08 14:17pm
I think people should also try and send
letters/e-mail to local and national news
outlets/media/newspapers. Maybe it will
bring more attention to the problems and
put more pressure on surgeons/the mesh
companies/FDA to take it more seriously,
and maybe even find a newer way to repair
hernias.
YES, it is URGENT that everyone out there
let his/her doctors, and everyone else --
family, friends, workmates, etc -- know
about this issue. Where I am (in the UK)
nobody knows about this, it's never
discussed, not even among people with
hernias!
Here, hernia surgery is seen AND
ADVERTISED as "a piece of cake".
Literally! People do not know what I'm
talking about, or why I'm making such a
fuss about this mesh issue. It is
receiving NO media coverage. So getting
the word out on a personal level is
absolutely CRUCIAL --- especially to
anyone you know in the medical world.
There are new "bio" meshes already in use
that are showing good results in not
triggering the strong foreign-body
reaction that the plastic jobs have done.
These materials are also proving to be
much more resistant to infection, one very
big problem with the plastics. They are
made of porcine (pig) collagen, denatured
and sterilised, and they appear to
harmonise much better with human body
tissues than plastic.
In the UK, look into Permacol -- it's also
received FDA approval in the USA, so it
must have already gone through some pretty
heavy-duty trials.
In the USA look into Surgisis, made of the
same material.
I spoke to my surgeon about this. He
pooh-poohed it (of course). "Must stick to
what we know......" Surgeons are a
notoriously conservative bunch. They don't
like to change their methods, unless
absolutely forced to do so. Which is why I
hold out very little, if any, hope for a
new hernia repair technique. For starters,
it would take ages to train a whole new
crop of surgeons in a new method.
The new "bio" meshes offer at least SOME
hope .... if the med's will allow them
into widespread use. Problem: they're
probably a ton more expensive than
plastic. Even the new lightweight meshes,
supposedly safer than the standard
heavyweight ones, cost 5 or 6 times more.
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This page was last updated on June 11, 2008
