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Ethicon Media Monitoring 3/20/2017
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Kiwi mum warns of surgical mesh nightmare that destroyed her life
Mar 19, 2017 | Taranaki Daily News
By Cate Broughton
Auckland woman Alison Lee says a "simple" procedure to fix stress incontinence has left her with permanent pelvic and hip pain and robbed her of a once healthy, happy life. -
Surgical mesh data not stacking up?
Mar 19, 2017 | Radio New Zealand
A group supporting people with surgical mesh problems says more and more treatment injuries are happening based on the number of claims being filed. -
‘Just tell us the truth’: Mesh campaigners and MSPs have demanded that the report into mesh implants should be ‘no whitewash’
Mar 18, 2017 | Sunday Post
By Marion Scott
MSPs have overwhelmingly demanded there should be no “whitewash” of the dangers of mesh implants in a soon-to-be published safety report.
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Kiwi mum warns of surgical mesh nightmare that destroyed her life
Mar 19, 2017 | Taranaki Daily News
By Cate Broughton
Auckland woman Alison Lee says a "simple" procedure to fix stress incontinence has left her with permanent pelvic and hip pain and robbed her of a once healthy, happy life.
A mother-of-two feels robbed of her health and happiness after a "simple" procedure to fix stress incontinence has left her with permanent pelvic and hip pain.
Alison Lee is one of a growing number of Kiwis who are suffering from severe complications associated with the use of surgical mesh to treat stress incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and hernias.
"I haven't been able to work since. I have chronic pain and chronic fatigue. I've also got a hip injury and haven't been able to walk properly since the surgery, yeah, I'm pretty much screwed," said Lee.
The devices are part of a global medical scandal and last month became the subject of an Australian senate inquiry led by New Zealand-born politician Derryn Hinch.
Lee said she tried a year of physiotherapy before a surgeon recommended the procedure. Immediately after the surgery to implant the mesh she felt terrible pain in her pelvic area, which also radiated down her right leg, and she could not empty her bladder properly.
A second surgery improved the bladder function but the pelvic and hip pain continued and a year later she underwent another more invasive surgery to remove the mesh.
Only two thirds could be removed with the remainder fused to her pubic bone.
But now she has been told nothing more can be done for her - and that her incontinence is worse than before she had the original surgery.
She wants to see the issue taken seriously and that victims are better supported.
"We haven't asked for this to happen to us, we've gone in trusting the surgeons and yet we're having to pay for it in so many different ways."
ACC turned down claims for Lee's injuries, apart from a three month period.
"As far as they are concerned there is no injury even though apart from a bit of incontinence I was perfectly fit and healthy before the injury."
ACC spokeswoman Stephanie Melville said payments for cover of an injury resulting from the first surgery were suspended when Lee's consulting specialist advised it had been "resolved" after the second surgery.
Cover for urinary dysfunction, neuralgia, examination under anaesthesia and steroid injection, to treat hip pain, was declined because "they are non injury related conditions".
Lee's husband Jeff Lee said the mesh surgery has destroyed their lives.
"I can't go out with my wife, she loves to dance, we can't even dance, we can't ride a bike together, we can't go for a walk, we love to keep fit and active, we do family walks together - we can't do that anymore.
"We're in the prime of our life and we're just existing."
Auckland women Charlotte Korte and Carmel Berry formed a support group in 2012 to protect people from surgical mesh complications.
They say the high number of people seeking compensation for complications shows the mesh products are not properly regulated.
According to ACC figures released to Korte and Berry, treatment injury claims have doubled in the past three years
Between January 2014 and March 2017 there were 301 claims decided upon.
This compared to 385 decided claims over an eight-year period from July 2005 to December 2013, an average of 46 per year.
ACC declined to release the number of mesh related claims that were under review but a spokeswoman said updated figures on all treatment injury claims would be released "shortly".
Last year the Health Select Committee decided not to conduct a national inquiry into the products but made recommendations to improve monitoring and education on "best practice" use.
ACC committed to report all adverse events to Medsafe, but a Medsafe report in December showed only 79 have been reported since 2005.
A spokeswoman for the ACC said the organisation had provided a monthly data report to Medsafe and the Ministry of Health of all treatment injury claims since 2015.
Medsafe's advice is that surgical mesh devices are safe and effective for the majority of women.
But Berry said the government's inaction could cost lives.
"We've heard of patients overseas that have ended their lives due to the pain and suffering caused by surgical mesh. We hope that no one in New Zealand needs to die that way before this issue is taken seriously ".
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/90433221/Kiwi-mum-warns-of-surgical-mesh-nightmare-that-destroyed-her-life
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Surgical mesh data not stacking up?
Mar 19, 2017 | Radio New Zealand
A group supporting people with surgical mesh problems says more and more treatment injuries are happening based on the number of claims being filed.
According to official information obtained by the group Mesh Down Under, the Accident Compensation Corporation made 281 claim decisions between 2014 and 2016, 228 of which were accepted for cover.
The historical claims information shows that between 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2014, a total of 466 claims were decided by ACC.
The Mesh Down Under group's New Zealand branch founder Carmel Berry said the publicity around the surgical mesh issue may have raised awareness of the problem and people realise that they can lodge a treatment injury claim with ACC.
Surgical mesh is a net-like implant used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence in women - as well as bowel prolapse and hernia repairs.
Mrs Berry, who is a surgical mesh injury patient, said she was concerned the number of claims being filed by ACC were not being represented in Medsafe's Adverse Events Reports Relating to Surgical Mesh Implants, which it is required to release.
The last report available in December 2016 showed that between 2005 and Novermber 2016 it received 131 adverse event reports, 79 of which were reported by ACC.
Mrs Berry said there was a disconnect between what the two agencies were reporting, and she worried the Medsafe data might give people who were potentially undertaking a mesh-related surgery a false impression of the safety of the operation.
"You'd go, 'heck, that's not many, it must be a really safe operation,' but if you added in all of the ACC claims that's a whole different kettle of fish."
She said people may be more hesitant to have mesh-related surgery if they were aware of the number of claims being filed to ACC.
In a statement, ACC said it was internally reviewing how it collects surgical mesh related data to ensure the information it is providing to other agencies would be effectively contributing to a fuller understanding of the issue.
"ACC is aware that the number of treatment Injuries is increasing, including treatment injury claims for surgical mesh," it said.
"Since 2009 ACC treatment injury claims have increased by 63 percent, from 1.8 claims per 1000 in 2008/09 to 2.9 in 2014/15. Costs have increased by 43 percent, from $264 million in 2008/09 to $379 million in 2014/15.
"As a result, the government announced in December last year that between $15 [million] to $20m will be invested over the next five years to prevent treatment injuries.
"Following the surgical mesh review report in 2015, ACC provides a monthly data report to Medsafe and MoH which captures all treatment injury claims from minor to serious, including surgical mesh claims. Since 2005, ACC has been providing Medsafe with detailed reports for all serious and sentinel notifications."
Mesh Down Under is responsible for a petition to Parliament which was passed at Select Committeeand put a number of recommendations to government which were accepted.
Part of the actions included ensuring all adverse event reports notified to ACC that relate to surgical mesh are also notified to Medsafe.
Mrs Berry said that when she met with ACC last week it had been unable to answer the group's question about the disparity in the figures.
She said it was still not known how many surgeries were performed using mesh each year, and that was why the group wanted a registry - so that every implant could be tracked if necessary.
"So that you could say, actually we are getting worse at performing surgery with mesh because we're having a greater number of treatment injuries, but you just can't know if you don't know how many surgeries are being done."
Medsafe is considering the registry.
It said it could be difficult to determine if the claims information coming from ACC relates to an adverse event relating to mesh.
Medsafe said it was working with ACC to improve reporting. ACC said it would soon be releasing updated figures on number of claims and costs.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/326936/surgical-mesh-data-not-stacking-up
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Mar 18, 2017 | Sunday Post
By Marion Scott
MSPs have overwhelmingly demanded there should be no “whitewash” of the dangers of mesh implants in a soon-to-be published safety report.
Mesh campaigners claim evidence on the dangers of the controversial surgery have been ignored or removed from the safety review set up three years ago.
And this week, after talks between campaigners and Health Secretary Shona Robison, 97 out of 129 MSPs signed a pledge backing their call for the reinstatement of the evidence.
One of the first to sign was Ms Robison’s predecessor, Alex Neil, who ordered the safety review in 2014, and suspended the use of mesh for bladder and prolapse problems.
He was joined by 30 SNP colleagues.
The campaigners’ demands won the total support of every opposition party, including their leaders.
The final draft of the safety review, due out within weeks, has been dismissed as pro-mesh propaganda and led to the resignation of one of its key experts as well as patients representatives Elaine Holmes, 52, from Newton Mearns, and Olive McIlroy, 60, from Renfrew.
Elaine and Olive, who represent more than 400 women whose lives have been ruined by the treatment, met Ms Robison this week to demand the reinstatement of all evidence and safety warnings.
Elaine added: “We delivered an ultimatum. If the missing evidence was not reinstated we want nothing to do with the report.
“Ms Robison told us she would take on board what we said and get back to us.
“Our Campaign was not political. We just do not want any more lives ruined.”
Olive added: “Ms Robison has two choices – publish a compromised report or allow the public to know the truth.”
Evidence from around the world on the dangers of mesh is mounting and mesh manufacturers in the US have already paid £1.5 billion in compensation.
In Scotland, the NHS faces the biggest ever medical legal action on behalf of 426 women.
Labour MSP Neil Findlay, chair of the parliament’s Health Committee said: “The report must include ALL relevant information and cannot become pro-mesh propaganda.”
Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw added: “The First Minister should note nearly 100 MSPs have made clear their demand.”
Last night Ms Robison reassured the Scottish Mesh Survivors Group their views have been heard.
She said: “I want them to remain at the centre of the crucial work.
“This week I will meet the two patient members of the inquiry who resigned to hear their concerns in person.”
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/just-tell-us-the-truth/
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