Personal Injury Lawsuits Against Cook Medical’s Transvaginal Mesh Could Receive MDL
As of August last year, there are currently 6 multidistrict litigations against transvaginal mesh manufacturers – Mentor Corp’s Coloplast, Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon Division, C.R. Bard, American Medical Systems, and Boston Scientific.
However, a seventh MDL could be added to the long list, this time from Cook Medical.
The transvaginal mesh manufacturer is currently defending more than 40 personal injury lawsuits against its Surgisis Biodesign and Stratasys vaginal mesh implants.
Four of the current transvaginal mesh MDLs have been consolidated in the US District Court of West Virginia. If consolidated, the transvaginal mesh MDL against Cook would also most likely be consolidated in the same court, and become the fifth transvaginal mesh MDL there.
Reportedly, Cook Medical advertised their mesh devices as more effective, using the public’s rising fear about the health problems associated with slings made of synthetic material to promote their transvaginal mesh devices, which are made from the small intestines of pigs. However, recent studies correlate an increased chance of organ inflammation and infection with the Cook Medical devices.
Cook Medical has refuted claims for MDL consolidation because they say that their mesh products are not the same as the other devices facing litigation.
Here is a current list of Cook Medical’s transvaginal mesh devices:
-
Surgisis Biodesign Tension-Free Urethral Sling
-
Surgisis Biodesign Anterior Pelvic Floor Graft
-
Surgisis Biodesign Posterior Pelvic Floor Graft
-
Cook Urological Stratasis Urethral Sling
-
Stratasis Tension-Free Urethral Sling
The FDA Issues Serious Warnings About Transvaginal Mesh Products
In July 2011, the Food and Drug Administration issued a very serious warning to medical practitioners about the use of mesh in patients. They stated on their website:
“The FDA is issuing this update to inform you that serious complications associated with surgical mesh for transvaginal repair of POP are not rare. This is a change from what the FDA previously reported on Oct. 20, 2008. Furthermore, it is not clear that transvaginal POP repair with mesh is more effective than traditional non-mesh repair in all patients with POP and it may expose patients to greater risk. Safety Communication provides updated recommendations for health care providers and patients and updates the FDA’s activities involving surgical mesh for the transvaginal repair of POP.
The FDA continues to evaluate the effects of using surgical mesh to repair SUI and will communicate these findings at a later date.”
Transvaginal mesh complications can include mesh erosion, pain, infection, bleeding, painful sexual intercourse, organ perforation, and urinary problems.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Transvaginal Mesh Personal Injury
If you or a loved one has pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence, have had a mesh device implanted, and have since experienced detrimental complications, you may be entitled to compensation. The experienced lawyers at Strom Law, LLC can help. We offer free consultations, so please contact us today, and we can help get you on the road to recovery. 803.252.4800.
