Transvaginal mesh complications are driving lawsuits filed by women implanted with TVM after a pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence. Now a new non-profit organization, The Mesh Warrior Foundation, has been launched by Aaron Horton to raise transvaginal mesh awareness. Horton’s mother suffered major complications after receiving a transvaginal mesh device to treat incontinence and POP. The organization plans to raise transvaginal mesh awareness about device-related injuries and advocate for women harmed by them.
Founder’s Mother Inspired Push for Transvaginal Mesh Awareness
Horton told The Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate that when her mother woke up from surgery, she knew something was wrong, but her doctor said she needed time to heal. Despite Horton’s mother suffering relentless localized pain in her pelvic region, doctors dismissed her. The pain eventually spread to other parts of her body, but no physician could provide relief.
“My mom was really sick, and she wasn’t getting better,” Horton recalls. “Once I realized how sick she was, I got online to see if there were other people… I realized there’s this whole community of women who have been injured by this medical device.” Horton’s mother underwent mesh removal surgery in May 2014.
Doctors Are Also Trying to Raise Transvaginal Mesh Awareness in Patients
Dr. Michael Hibner, the director of the division of surgery and pelvic pain at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, has been performing mesh removal surgeries for years and told The Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate that he sees women who experience pain mostly due to:
- a foreign body reaction to the device
- the mesh rubbing against or pulling at nerves
- nerve damage that occurred during implantation.
He also said he thinks manufacturers are mostly to blame for the numerous mesh-related injuries. That’s because they sell a “one-size-fits-all” device, and their product marketing leaves many doctors inappropriately trained for implantation.
“There’s failure in the medical community, there’s failure in the financial community, and there’s failure in the legal community,” Dr. Greg Vigna, who has been a part of both the medical and legal communities, told the source.
What You Can Do
Women who’ve needed mesh surgical removal and are planning to file their own transvaginal mesh lawsuit should contact a lawyer who specializes in mass tort cases because an attorney will be well-versed in the matter and know how to argue the case for the best chance of winning.