Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuit Update: Schlichter, Bogard & Denton, LLP Law Firm Reports on the Growing Number of Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuits Pending in Federal Court

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Attorneys at the law firm Schlichter, Bogard and Denton, LLP represent women who have been seriously and permanently injured as a result of transvaginal mesh products.

St. Louis, Missouri (PRWEB) September 09, 2013

The attorneys at Schlichter, Bogard & Denton, LLP, a law firm dedicated to helping injured victims, represent women who allege permanent injuries as a result of transvaginal mesh products. Women report severe injuries and complications allegedly as a result of these products, such as vaginal mesh erosion, organ perforation, urinary problems and the need for invasive surgical procedures.

Transvaginal mesh products (commonly referred to as pelvic mesh, vaginal mesh, or bladder slings) are medical devices that are surgically implanted in women to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI). As a result of childbirth, hysterectomy, or menopause, a woman's uterus, bladder or rectum may slip out of place due to weakened muscles or ligaments. As a result of these organs "dropping," increased stress is placed on the woman's vagina, causing pain and discomfort, as well as urinary incontinence in some cases. Although this is a sensitive condition, it impacts millions of women nationwide.

Complications alleged to be associated with these transvaginal mesh products, include but are not limited to, erosion or perforation of the mesh product, pelvic or vaginal pain, dyspareunia, infection, urinary or bowel problems, mesh shrinkage or contraction, mesh migration and neuromuscular problems. Other alleged complications that women suffer from the use of transvaginal mesh include invasive surgeries, as well as costly and painful medical procedures, to remove the mesh and/or repair damage. Because the vaginal mesh/sling products are designed and placed with the intention of remaining in a woman permanently, they can be very difficult to remove and may require multiple surgeries.

On October 20, 2008, the FDA released a Public Health Notification concerning “Serious Complications Associated with Transvaginal Placement of Surgical Mesh in Repair of Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Stress Urinary Incontinence”. The purpose of this notification was to alert healthcare professionals that the FDA had received over 1,000 reports of complications associated with the mesh products.

On July 13, 2011, the FDA released another FDA Safety Communication to health care professionals and patients involving the transvaginal mesh products placed for Pelvic Organ Prolapse. This updated Safety Communication states, “serious complications associated with surgical mesh for transvaginal repair of POP are not rare…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.”

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) reports that over 29,000 women have filed lawsuits in federal court against the manufacturers of these transvaginal mesh products alleging serious injuries they have suffered as a result of these products. These lawsuits have been consolidated as Multidistrict Litigations (MDLs) for pretrial purposes and are pending in the Southern District of West Virginia under the Honorable Judge Joseph Goodwin. Currently, there are six Multidistrict Litigations (MDLs) involving the following manufacturers: American Medical Systems (In re: American Medical Systems, Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2325, Case No. 12-md-2325), Boston Scientific (In re: Boston Scientific Corp. Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2326, Case No. 12-md-2326), Ethicon (In re: Ethicon, Inc., Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2327, Case No. 12-md-2327), Coloplast (In re: Coloplast Corp. Pelvic Support Systems Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2387, Case No. 12-md-2387) and Cook Medical (In re: Cook Medical, Inc., Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2440, Case No. 13-md-2436).

About Schlichter, Bogard & Denton, LLP
Schlichter, Bogard & Denton, LLP is a unique law firm that aggressively represents its clients injured as a result of dangerous pharmaceutical medications and unsafe medical devices. With hard work, creative thinking, and strong trial skills, we have earned an outstanding nationwide reputation by representing thousands of individuals who have suffered serious injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered from complications arising from the placement of a transvaginal mesh product, please contact the attorneys at Schlichter, Bogard & Denton, LLP toll-free at 1-800-873-5297 for your confidential and free consultation.

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements. The cases discussed do not predict outcomes in future cases. Past results afford no guarantee of future results and every case is different and must be judged on its own merits.

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