Ethicon Physiomesh (Hernia Mesh) Lawsuit Updates – October 2017

Hernia mesh is a flexible mesh product used to repair abdominal hernias. The mesh device is implanted over the weakened area, creating a barrier that prevents internal organs from pushing through. All types of hernia mesh are associated with medical complications, but Ethicon Physiomesh has a particularly bad record. Failure rates are high, resulting in the need for revision surgeries at best, or life-threatening health complications at worst.

When new medical devices that are similar to existing medical devices enter the market, they often receive FDA approval through a fast-track approval process called 510(k). Basically, this means that the device’s manufacturer must demonstrate only that the new device is a substantial equivalent to a previously approved device. As such, rigorous safety testing and research goes by the wayside in favor of getting the product to market as fast as possible. A Boston defective medical device lawyer can help you determine how to proceed if you’ve been injured by hernia mesh.

Ethicon Physiomesh is manufactured by corporate giant Johnson & Johnson. J&J was named the largest healthcare company on the planet at the 2016 World Economic Forum. With such a large share of the global healthcare market, J&J should be more diligent about safety testing its products. And hernia mesh is far its only dangerous product. With J&J’s baby powder being linked to ovarian cancer in women, Risperdal being linked to breast development in adolescent men, and Xarelto causing excessive bleeding in patients, J&J is at the center of lawsuits totaling in the hundreds-of-millions.

Medical Complications Linked to Physiomesh

All types of hernia mesh carry the risk of complications, but the material used to make Physiomesh is especially dangerous. If you have a hernia mesh implant, talk to your doctor about the risk of the following:

  • Mesh erosion
  • Organ perforation
  • Infection, including gangrene and sepsis
  • Bowel adhesions
  • Wounds that won’t heal
  • Allergic reactions
  • Severe pain
  • The need for revision surgery
  • Death

Ethicon Physiomesh is made with a lightweight plastic called polypropylene. Multiple clinical studies have show that polypropylene decays when implanted in a human body. In addition to the breakdown of the mesh itself, the device can migrate, puncturing or perforating surrounding tissue and organs. This migration can result in internal bleeding and life-threatening infections. A MA injury attorney can help you recover damages if you’ve been injured by a hernia mesh device.

Recent Updates

  • On October 3, 2017 the Supreme Court rejected J&J’s request to overturn a $3.27 million verdict.
  • In September 2017, J&J was ordered to pay $57.1 million in a mesh injury case in Pennsylvania.
  • On Sepember 26, 2017, Alex Neil, a former Health Secretary of Scotland, called the injuries caused by pelvic mesh a “worldwide catastrophe,” and requested an International Summit to address this problem.
  • On May 1, 2017 a New Jersey woman received a $20 million verdict against J&J for injuries caused by a vaginal mesh device (similar product).

Altman & Altman, LLP – Defective Medical Device Attorneys Serving Boston and the Surrounding Areas

If you have been injured by a faulty or defective medical device, the skilled legal team at Altman & Altman, LLP can help. We have been protecting the rights of accident and injury victims for more than 50 years. When pharmaceutical and medical device giants, such as J&J, put profits before the health and safety of the public, they should be held accountable for their actions. If you have been harmed, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other associated costs. Don’t go through this difficult time alone, we can help. Contact Altman & Altman, LLP today for a free and confidential consultation about your case.

 

 

 

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