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Ethicon Media Monitoring 9/24/18
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Ethicon Gynemesh Lawsuit Joins Others Alleging Serious Complications
Sep 24, 2018 | Top Class Actions
By Heba Elsherif
A Missouri woman joins thousands of others in filing an Ethicon Gynemesh lawsuit in federal court against the manufacturers and makers of the pelvic mesh product. Plaintiff Martha L. files her Ethicon Gynemesh lawsuit demanding a trial by jury. -
Standard improved to stop 'tragic' surgical mesh stories
Sep 24, 2018 | stuff
By Cate Broughton
New Zealand hospitals will need to guarantee their surgeons have specialist credentials to perform controversial transvaginal mesh procedures, the Ministry of Health says. In a letter to district health boards (DHBs) and surgical colleges on Monday, director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield asked that surgeons be required to have specific specialist qualifications and experience in either urology or gynaecology, and a minimum of 10 procedures every year.
Client Attorney Privileged/Attorney Work Product/At Request of Counsel
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Ethicon Gynemesh Lawsuit Joins Others Alleging Serious Complications
Sep 24, 2018 | Top Class Actions
By Heba Elsherif
A Missouri woman joins thousands of others in filing an Ethicon Gynemesh lawsuit in federal court against the manufacturers and makers of the pelvic mesh product.
Plaintiff Martha L. files her Ethicon Gynemesh lawsuit demanding a trial by jury.
According to the Ethicon Gynemesh lawsuit, Martha was implanted with the pelvic mesh device on Aug. 14, 2013 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
It was implanted, Martha claims, to treat her urinary incontinence.
However, due to severe adverse side effects and complications, she says that she underwent revision surgery almost a week later, on Aug. 21, 2013.
Due to the pelvic mesh’s implantation, Martha alleges that she has “experienced significant mental and physical pain and suffering, has sustained permanent injury and permanent and substantial physical deformity and has suffered financial or economic loss, including, but not limited to, obligations for medical services and expenses.”
The Ethicon Gynemesh lawsuit was filed over multiple allegations including failure to warn, strict liability, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, negligent infliction of emotional distress, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, violation of consumer protection laws, gross negligence, unjust enrichment, and punitive damages.Overview: Ethicon Gynemesh Lawsuit
Thousands of consumers have filed lawsuits against manufacturers of hernia mesh and pelvic mesh products, like Ethicon and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, due to severe side effects and complications suffered.
Ethicon’s Gynemesh product has caused patients to suffer multiple complications due to the product’s alleged biological incompatibility, including bowel obstruction, mesh migration, mesh shrinkage, oxidation, and high potential for breakage.
The complications and side effects suffered are the result of the human body’s inability to accept the hernia mesh, thus causing severe allergic reactions. One of the reasons for this includes the composition of the mesh which is made up of an Omega-3 polypropylene coating.
Although the purpose of the mesh coating is to help prevent the mesh device from attaching to the body’s tissues, this instead causes other complications.
Patients implanted with a hernia mesh device, such as Martha, have suffered excruciating adverse side effects such as discoloration, swelling, and tenderness surrounding the implant.
Other complications reported by patients have included inflammatory reactions, pain, failure to incorporate the mesh into the body, mesh folding or bunching up, hernia occurrence, and adhesions.Ethicon Lawsuits
Lawsuits being filed against Ethicon accuse the company of failing to warn consumers about hernia mesh complications. They also accuse the company of putting a defective and ineffective device on the market and of negligence.
Of the thousands of lawsuits filed against hernia mesh manufacturers across the country there have been several notable verdicts and settlements.
In fact, companies have paid nearly $1.1 billion in hernia mesh settlements.
Eligible victims and consumers may file Ethicon Gynemesh lawsuits, joining others who may have also suffered severe adverse side effects and complications. This may help victims of defective hernia mesh products obtain damages and recoveries.
The Ethicon Gynemesh Lawsuit is Case No. 4:18-cv-01330, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The transvaginal mesh attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, transvaginal mesh lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.]
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/855571-ethicon-gynemesh-lawsuit-joins-others-alleging-serious-complications/
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Standard improved to stop 'tragic' surgical mesh stories
Sep 24, 2018 | stuff
By Cate Broughton
New Zealand hospitals will need to guarantee their surgeons have specialist credentials to perform controversial transvaginal mesh procedures, the Ministry of Health says.
In a letter to district health boards (DHBs) and surgical colleges on Monday, director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield asked that surgeons be required to have specific specialist qualifications and experience in either urology or gynaecology, and a minimum of 10 procedures every year.
Patient advocates have been calling for protections from surgical mesh harm for the past decade after thousands of women worldwide suffered life-changing complications, such as severe pain, mesh erosion, infection and nerve damage. Some say these changes, based on Australian standards, do not go far enough.
Kiwi Renate Schutte travelled to the United States to have surgeon Dr Dionysios Veronikis, pictured, remove mesh that had caused her extreme groin pain.
In the letter, DHBs were asked to "ensure rigorous informed consent processes that include understanding of the associated risks".
"If you are not satisfied that your services or surgeons meet these standards, surgeries involving surgical mesh should not take place," Bloomfield's letter said.
Surgical mesh is used to treat pelvic organ prolapse, stress urinary incontinence and hernias.
An August Medsafe update showed 627 adverse event reports have been received for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse procedures with transvaginal mesh. In the same period, 394 adverse event reports for hernia procedures were lodged.
Acting Associate Health Minister James Shaw said too many women had experienced harm as a result of surgical mesh.
DHBs were to stop using surgical mesh in urogynaecological surgery unless they could guarantee surgical standards and "robust" informed consent processes were being met, he said.
The ministry action comes two and a half months after the UK Government ordered an immediate suspension on the use vaginal mesh implants to treat child birth complications in NHS hospitals after a review.
Review chairwoman Julia Cumberlege said she had been appalled by the scale of "tragic stories" from women and their families.
"Their bravery and dignity in speaking out is deeply moving, and their sadness, anger, pain and frustration at what has happened to them and others has been compelling. We had to act now."
Advocate Charlotte Korte, of Mesh Down Under, said she was disappointed the Government had not followed the UK by suspending the use of mesh until better protections were in place.
"The Ministry of Health has no way of mandating or enforcing this. There are way too many loopholes."
Korte, who last week was won this year's Women of Influence public policy award, said more than half of mesh surgeries were performed in private hospitals, which fell outside DHB control.
"How many more of these patients will have to have their lives ruined before the surgeons and the Government actually wake up? What's it going to take?"
Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) president-elect and Christchurch urologist Stephen Mark said the society supported the Government actions.
"We do not support a ban on mesh at the moment and are very happy to be compliant with the recommendations from the [Australian] guidelines – essentially that experienced and qualified surgeons continue to use mesh in stress incontinence, that an appropriate informed consent process needs to be present and documented and a local registry needs to be established."
Mark said he knew of six to eight urologists who met the Australian standards, but some may not perform a minimum of 10 procedures a year.
He expected the number of mesh procedures for stress urinary incontinence and associated complications to reduce further as a result of tougher requirements.
"We want to minimise harm, but maintain access to appropriate treatment."
Under existing legislation, the ministry has no authority to make DHBs implement the new criteria.
A planned overhaul of the Therapeutic Products Act, in which the issue could be addressed, had failed to materialise. A draft was originally due in 2017.
The proposed bill was expected to be released for public consultation later this year, a Ministry of Health spokesman said.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/107316234/standard-improved-to-stop-tragic-surgical-mesh-stories
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