Ethicon Physiomesh Injury Risk
Product recalled due to recurring hernias
In 2016, medical device manufacturer Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, recalled its Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh product due to evidence indicating that it may be ineffective. Maine patients who have undergone surgery to repair ventral hernias using this product are urged to seek medical help and legal representation, as they may be at risk.
Ventral hernias and the mesh product
Hernias are fairly common medical conditions that occur when a part of an organ protrudes through a tear or weakness in the wall of muscle that holds the organ in place. Most commonly, hernias occur in the bowel or intestines. Ventral hernias, otherwise known as incisional hernias, are hernias that arise in places where a previous surgical incision created a weak point in that muscle wall.
Hernia repair surgery involves using a small surgical scope called a laparoscope to view and repair the hernia from the inside and to reinforce the abdominal wall with the mesh product to prevent the hernia from recurring. Unfortunately, patients treated with the Ethicon Physiomesh product have been shown to have a significantly higher than average rate of recurrence, according to the company's own research.
What this means for patients
When surgical products fail, the patient typically needs additional surgery, and the Physiomesh recall is no exception. Patients who have been treated with this defective medical device have already gone under the knife at least twice: One surgery created the weak point in the muscle wall that led to the original hernia, and a second laparoscopic surgery was needed to use the Physiomesh product to repair the hernia. After the hernia recurs, yet another surgery is needed to repair the new hernia, and this revision surgery is more complex due to the need to replace the defective mesh and avoid the scar tissue from the previous surgery.
As surgeries go, laparoscopic procedures are relatively non-invasive, but there is no such thing as truly minor surgery. There is a significant risk of infection and other complications, and those risks are compounded when additional surgeries are needed due to the defective product. Moreover, the financial cost to the injured patient can be significant, as can the physical pain and emotional distress that accompanies the follow-up surgery.
At the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein, we work closely with a law firm that specializes in Physiomesh induced injury cases. Together, by combining our resources and expertise, we hold negligent manufacturers such as Ethicon accountable. If you or somebody you know had hernia recurrence or surgery, contact us immediately for a free and confidential evaluation. Our law firm will ensure that your legal claim is handled professionally and expeditiously. Delay may affect your legal rights.
