The Driscoll Firm, LLC, is now investigating the claims of patients who suffered serious complications after undergoing hernia repair surgery that involved mesh implants such as Ethicon Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh and the Bard Davol Composix Kugel Mesh patch.

Doctors have used surgical mesh for many years in hernia repair surgery. The mesh gives support to damaged or weakened tissues. Most of these hernia mesh products are made of synthetic material such as polypropylene.

Despite the widespread use of mesh for hernia repair, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that it has received numerous reports of complications associated with these products. Those complications include:

• Pain
• Infection
• Perforation of organs and tissue
• Adhesion (scar-like tissue that sticks tissues together)
• Obstruction (blockage of the large or small intestine)
• Buildup (abscess) or leaking (fistula) of fluids
• Mesh migration and mesh shrinkage
• Recurrence of hernia (and the need for additional surgery).

If you or a family member has suffered these or other hernia mesh complications, you may be able to obtain compensation for your medical expenses, pain, suffering and other losses. To learn more about your legal options, contact The Driscoll Firm today.

Ethicon Physiomesh Litigation

In May 2016, Ethicon voluntarily withdrew its Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh product, which doctors used in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair surgery (a minimally invasive surgery to fix tears or openings in the abdomen). In a field safety notice, the manufacturer said it withdrew the product due to a “higher than average” number of reported hernia recurrences and reoperations. Ethicon, a division of Johnson & Johnson, did not withdraw any of its other hernia mesh products.

The FDA approved Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh for the U.S. market in 2010 through its 510k review process. Since that time, patients across the country have filed product liability lawsuits in state and federal courts against Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson. The patients claim that they suffered serious complications related to the mesh.

In May 2017, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) held a hearing to determine whether it should consolidate all Ethicon Physiomesh lawsuits filed in federal courts (MDL No. 2782).  When individual lawsuits share facts and legal issues, consolidation can lead to a quicker resolution of litigation.

To date, no Ethicon Physiomesh lawsuits have gone to trial or resulted in settlements.

Kugel Mesh Patch Litigation

Davol, a subsidiary of C.R. Bard, received FDA approval for its Composix Kugel Mesh patch in 1996. The device features a memory recoil ring that should open after a surgeon implants the patch in a patient’s abdomen. However, due to reports that the ring broke after implantation, the manufacturer issued three separate recalls between 2005 and 2007.

Thousands of hernia patients and their families filed lawsuits against Davol and C.R. Bard, claiming that they suffered pain, infections, bowel perforation, intestinal blockages and other complications related to the mesh product. The JPML consolidated all federal court Kugel Mesh patch lawsuits in the District of Rhode Island (MDL No. 1842).

In 2011, Bard agreed to a settlement of roughly 2,600 Composix Kugel Mesh patch lawsuits for a total of $184 million. Those cases specifically focused on the memory recoil ring. However, patients and their families continue to file lawsuits involving the product, with current litigation focusing on the product’s synthetic material as well as the memory recoil ring.

How The Driscoll Firm Can Help You

The Driscoll Firm has helped thousands of clients across the country to recover compensation after they suffered injuries related to defective medical products. In many cases, our product liability lawyers have served as class counsel, state liaison counsel and members of committees that make decisions on how nationally litigated cases should proceed.

If you or a loved one suffered serious complications after being treated with a hernia mesh implant such as Ethicon Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh or the Bard Davol Composix Kugel Mesh patch, we can provide immediate assistance to you.

The Driscoll Firm will review your medical records and gather additional evidence to establish your claim. We will also advise you on whether to join existing litigation or pursue an independent claim. Our goal will be to recover all compensation you are due for the harm you have suffered.
To learn more, contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.