American Medical Systems (AMS), along with Boston Scientific Corp, were recently named in an Alabama AMS mesh lawsuit, with plaintiffs alleging the vaginal mesh products sold by the companies were defective and caused severe injuries. Specifically, the lawsuit named the AMS mesh Elevate, though the company makes several other mesh products, including the Apogee, MiniArc, Monarc, Perigee, and SPARC.
A California woman has also filed an AMS mesh lawsuit, claiming she had problems with the AMS vaginal sling that was implanted to help treat her pelvic organ prolapse. More women are expected to come forward following the FDA’s recent warning about the risk of serious complications with vaginal mesh.
Complications Lead to AMS Mesh Lawsuit
Vaginal mesh is a synthetic surgical material used to help support pelvic organs during treatment for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence (SUI). When a woman’s pelvic muscles stretch and weaken to the point where they can no longer support organs like the bladder, urethra, and bowel, prolapse may occur, causing the organ to fall or drop from its normal position into the vaginal wall. Severe cases are often treated with surgery to help secure the affected organs back in place.
American Medical Systems is one of many manufacturers of vaginal mesh (also called “bladder slings”), with different products designed specifically for different types of surgeries. These products are all design to provide better and more long-lasting support to pelvic organs than traditional treatment, which simply stitched muscles and tissues back together without mesh. Studies have shown the use of mesh is likely to reduce the risk of prolapse recurrence, but that it comes with a higher risk of complications.
FDA Warns of Serious Complications
The plaintiff involved in the Alabama AMS mesh lawsuit claims she suffered an adverse reaction to the mesh, as well as mesh erosion, repeated infections, and a tendency of the mesh to migrate from the site of the original implantation.
Laura Jones, who filed her AMS mesh lawsuit in California, claims that following her procedure with the AMS vaginal sling, she experienced urinary problems and serious pain, and eventually had to undergo a number of surgeries to have the mesh removed.
Such complications as these are not rare, according to the FDA. The agency released a warning in July 2011 stating as much, and warned physicians that additional surgeries my not correct the damage caused by vaginal mesh. They also stated that it’s not clear whether or not repair with vaginal mesh is any better than traditional repair without it.
Would You Quality for an AMS Mesh Lawsuit?
Women who have been injured by vaginal mesh may file an AMS SPARC Sling lawsuit or an AMS Perigree lawsuit, depending on which product was used in their repair surgeries. Both of the plaintiffs mentioned in the earlier AMS mesh lawsuits claim that the company failed to warn patients about the potential side effects, and should be held liable for misrepresentation, negligence, and fraud.
Get Help for Your AMS Mesh Lawsuit
If you or a loved one has experienced an injury as a result of AMS mesh, you may be eligible for compensation in an AMS mesh lawsuit. Contact Chaffin Luhana LLP today for a confidential case evaluation at 1-888-480-1123.
