Preview Newsletter
Ethicon Media Monitoring 10/9/2018
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MP calls it a ‘welcome U-turn’ but Sling the Mesh say it’s too little, too late after health watchdog issues fresh guidelines on pelvic mesh implants
Oct 9, 2018 | Cambs Times
By John Elworthy
They also say women who have been used as guinea pigs for implanting mesh, must not be now used as guinea pigs for mesh removal, and all consultants attempting this complex surgery must be properly trained. -
Victory for the Mail! Health officials agree to only use controversial vaginal mesh as a last-ditch resort for thousands of women battling incontinence and prolapse
Oct 9, 2018 | Mail Online
By Stephen Matthews
Vaginal mesh should only be offered to women who have explored all other possible options, health officials have today declared. -
Vaginal mesh should be offered as last resort, health officials say
Oct 9, 2018 | The Guardian
By Aamna Mohdin
Vaginal mesh should be offered to female patients as one of the last resorts, health service officials have said. -
Vaginal mesh should only be offered by NHS ‘as last resort’
Oct 9, 2018 | The Independent
By Ella Pickover
Vaginal mesh implants should not be offered to women until they have explored all other possible options, according to the UK's health watchdog. -
Women Should Only Be Offered Vaginal Mesh Surgery When They've Tried All Other Options, Says NICE
Oct 9, 2018 | Huffington Post
By Rachel Moss
Women should be offered a full range of non-surgical options before having vaginal mesh surgery, new draft guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) state. -
Vaginal mesh should only be offered after all other options explored, new guidelines state
Oct 9, 2018 | The Telegraph
Vaginal mesh should only be offered to women who have explored all other possible options, health officials have said. -
Mesh 'last option' for incontinence
Oct 9, 2018 | BBC News
Women who need treatment for urinary incontinence should only be offered mesh surgery as a last resort, new draft guidelines for the NHS advise. -
Vaginal mesh surgery only to be used as a last resort
Oct 9, 2018 | Sky News
The UK's medical watchdog has recommended that all vaginal mesh surgery should be used as a last resort.
Client Attorney Privileged/Attorney Work Product/At Request of Counsel
Online Sources
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Oct 9, 2018 | Cambs Times
By John Elworthy
They also say women who have been used as guinea pigs for implanting mesh, must not be now used as guinea pigs for mesh removal, and all consultants attempting this complex surgery must be properly trained.
In addition, mesh should only be offered as the last chance saloon, once everything else has failed, they say.
Health care watchdog, NICE, has issued draft guidelines which say women should be offered a full range of treatment options for incontinence or prolapse before choosing surgery.
But NICE says mesh can still be offered as the second option.
Campaigners say it must only be offered as the final, third option, once natural solutions like physiotherapy have failed and once traditional surgery has also failed.
Under the new guidance, a national registry will be launched which means every woman choosing mesh in the future must be logged on a database.
Owen Smith MP, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on surgical mesh, said: “This is a welcome U-turn from NICE, who in their 2016 guidelines for mesh did not recommend any other treatment options for SUI and in fact stated that complications from mesh were ‘infrequent’.
“While I am pleased that NICE is now taking action to advise against mesh as a first-line treatment, this announcement is well overdue.
“I have called on them to get on and urgently publish these guidelines for the last two years and I’m glad they have finally listened.
“This news is also a complete vindication of the thousands of women injured by mesh surgery who have campaigned tirelessly to get the procedure halted.
“I believe that the announcement of these guidelines, along with the Department for Health’s current suspension of mesh surgery, will mean the end of mesh surgery for incontinence other than for a handful of women for whom all other options have been ruled out.”
Kath Sansom, of Sling The Mesh, said: “These draft guidelines do not go far enough.
“Mesh should only be offered as the very last option, to ensure only the smallest number of women are exposed to mesh risk.
“This is being recommended for Scottish women.
“Ideally we want all pelvic mesh stopped. The risks are too great. It is totally unacceptable that women come out of a “simple little operation” with shattered lives.
“One in seven women in Sling The Mesh have lost their marriages because of mesh. One in seven have lost their sex life. Eight out of ten suffer pain so great it affects their daily life.
“More than half suffer ongoing urinary infections. Not surprisingly many are suicidal and six in ten are on anti depressants.
“Sling The Mesh has nearly 7,000 members. Sadly many thousands have been harmed in the last 20 years. This guidance should have come a long time ago.”
Surgeon Wael Agur said: “In Scotland mesh tape for incontinence is being recommended to be restricted to the most remote circumstances after failure of all options, both non surgical and surgical. This policy needs to be the same both north and south of the border.”
Surgeon Suzy Elneil said: “The new NICE directive is going back to basics, where the focus is on non-surgical approaches to care which should have always been the case.
“Mesh, should it really be required, should be the very last resort. It should also go hand in hand with robust counselling and consent processes, and patients should be warned that is it is not a lifelong solution.
“But perhaps what one should really be driving at is prevention of the problem in the first place. We should advocate for pelvic floor care from an early age, thus preventing the need for surgery in the majority of cases.”
Linda Millband, head of medical negligence at Thompsons Solicitors, acting for more than 280 mesh clients, said the guidelines are: “A step in the right direction, however our concerns remain that private hospitals will ignore these guidelines in the same way they have failed to implement the pause on mesh surgery that the government has imposed on the NHS.
“The real answer is for the government and NICE to stop making small amendments to guidance and issue an absolute ban on mesh use until it’s risks are fully investigated, and patients can be confident about its safety.
NICE says there are a number of non-surgical options for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, which should be considered before surgery including lifestyle interventions, pelvic floor therapy and medicines.
Sir Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, said: “It is important that every woman is supported to make decisions that are right for her, consents to a procedure, and fully understands the benefits and risks of the procedure being offered before consenting to it.
“Where surgical mesh/tape could be an option, there is almost always another intervention recommended in our guideline, which does not involve surgical mesh/tape.”
Where surgery is offered, if a woman’s chosen surgery is not available from the consulting consultant, she should be referred to an alternative medic.
Where it is agreed to use surgical mesh/tape, women must be fully informed of the risks.
In July a national mesh suspension was announced by the government.
This will remain in place until a number of conditions are met including a national database and specialist surgeons at specialist centres.
Complications must be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and details collected in a national registry.
http://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/nice-mesh-guidelines-1-5728585
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Oct 9, 2018 | Mail Online
By Stephen Matthews
Vaginal mesh should only be offered to women who have explored all other possible options, health officials have today declared.
In a victory for MailOnline, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said non-surgical options should first be considered.
Vaginal mesh, made of brittle plastic that can curl, twist and cut through tissue, has been branded the 'biggest medical scandal' since thalidomide.
Thousands of women have been maimed by the controversial implants globally, left on the brink of suicide, unable to work and reliant on wheelchairs.
Campaigners have tirelessly fought for years to get officials to put an end to vaginal mesh – proven to cause complications in 45 per cent of women.
Kath Sansom, founder of Sling The Mesh – a 6,800-strong campaign group, told MailOnline: 'It truly is the beginning of the end for mesh.'
The journalist added: 'Mesh has been catastrophic in terms of women's healthcare. The scale of this disaster is still not certain.
'Thousands have been ignored, belittled and left to cope alone, being told they are some sort of mystery patient.
'The Mail has been key in telling women's stories and getting people to understand the scale of this.'
Nice announced its draft guidelines today for women suffering from stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. Both conditions are common after childbirth.
Officials announced a 'pause' on some mesh procedures in England until certain conditions are met - including the publication of Nice guidelines.
The draft document states that women should try a range of techniques before mesh is even considered. Formal Nice guidance expected in April next year.
The non-surgical options for urinary incontinence include: lifestyle interventions including caffeine reduction, modifying fluid intake and weight loss.
While women should also be given physical therapies such as pelvic floor muscle training, behavioural therapies such as bladder training programmes or medication.
Non-surgical options for pelvic organ prolapse include: lifestyle modifications including avoiding heavy lifting and preventing constipation and pelvic floor muscle training.
The draft guideline states that surgical interventions using surgical mesh or tape should only be considered when non-surgical options have failed or are not possible.
Meanwhile a national database should be set up to record all procedures involving the use of surgical mesh in operations for stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse.
Women should be fully informed about the risks and be given a follow-up appointment six months after surgery to check for any side effects.
The draft guideline also recommends how complications associated with surgical mesh or tape surgery should be managed.
Sir Andrew Dillon, chief executive of Nice, said: 'It is important that every woman is supported to make decisions that are right for her, consents to a procedure, and fully understands the benefits and risks of the procedure being offered before consenting to it.
'Where surgical mesh/tape could be an option, there is almost always another intervention recommended in our guideline, which does not involve surgical mesh/tape.
'If a surgeon cannot provide a full range of choices to the patient, then she should be referred to one who can.'
Sir Andrew added: 'Surgeons must also record any intervention using surgical mesh/tape in a national database.'
The scandal came to light last April, when the NHS tried to dodge media attention over the implants that left hundreds of women in agony.
All forms of pelvic mesh are already banned in New Zealand after a landmark move in December, and a similar move against use in the treatment of vaginal mesh for prolapse has been made in Australia.WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF THE GOVERNMENT AUDIT INTO VAGINAL MESH, AND WEREN'T THEY JUST SUSPENDED?
PROLAPSE BAN
Health watchdogs Nice already announced the controversial surgery should only be banned for prolapse - when organs fall out of place, and not incontinence.
Sling The Mesh attacked that decision, announced in December, as they estimated around three quarters of women were given vaginal mesh to treat incontinence.
And the group also urged officials to add a suspension onto the use of rectopexy mesh, used for rectal prolapse, amid evidence it can also maim women.
NHS AUDIT
An NHS audit that delved into the effects of mesh, released in April, shone a light onto the true scale of disaster caused by vaginal mesh.
The risks of complications from mesh were shown to be around the 45 per cent mark - unlike the repeated assertions by the NHS it is no more than three per cent.
The dangers of mesh for prolapse and incontinence, common medical issues after childbirth, were almost equal, despite Nice only recommending a ban on the former.
TEMPORARY BAN
Tireless fights by campaigners, backed by MailOnline, were rewarded last week, when officials declared a temporary ban on mesh being used to treat incontinence.
Baroness Julia Cumberlege, leader of the review into vaginal mesh for incontinence, called for the immediate suspension of the implants.
It is not a complete ban, but a halt to implementing mesh until a list of five strict conditions laid down by 'appalled' reviewers have been met.
But victims hope it sets the groundwork for an outright ban, as the review has so far found no evidence the benefits of mesh outweigh the severity of human suffering.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6253153/Health-officials-agree-use-controversial-vaginal-mesh-ditch-resort.html
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Vaginal mesh should be offered as last resort, health officials say
Oct 9, 2018 | The Guardian
By Aamna Mohdin
Vaginal mesh should be offered to female patients as one of the last resorts, health service officials have said.
Draft guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) say women who with stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse, conditions that commonly occur after childbirth, should instead be offered a range of non-surgical treatments, such as lifestyle interventions, physical therapies and medications.
Surgical interventions using mesh should be considered when non-surgical options have failed or are not possible, Nice said.
A recent scandal on vaginal mesh procedures revealed that thousands of women have complained of being left in constant pain after having the implants. An investigation by the Guardian found one in 15 women given a mesh implant later required surgery to have it removed, with some experiencing life-altering complications.
In July, the government paused the use of some vaginal mesh procedures in NHS hospitals in England until certain conditions were met, including for all operations and any complications to be registered on a national database and for surgery to be performed by specialist surgeons based at specialist centres.
Nice’s draft guidelines call for a national database to be set up to record all procedures involving the use of surgical mesh and tape in operations for stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. When surgical mesh is offered as a treatment, women must be fully informed of the risks, Nice has said.
Sir Andrew Dillon, the chief executive of Nice, said: “Where surgical mesh/tape could be an option, there is almost always another intervention recommended in our guideline … If a surgeon cannot provide a full range of choices to the patient, then she should be referred to one who can.”
Commenting on the draft guidelines, Kath Sansom, the founder of the campaign group Sling the Mesh, said: “These draft guidelines are to be welcomed but they do not go far enough. Our ideal scenario is to see pelvic mesh stopped – full stop. The risks are too great. It is totally unacceptable that women come out of a ‘simple little operation’ with shattered lives.”
Carl Heneghan, a professor of evidence-based medicine at Oxford University who previously called for a public inquiry into the use of mesh, said: “We’ve been far too quick to resort to surgery as a first choice when it should have been a last chance and as a consequence many women have suffered harm.” Heneghan described the guidelines as “step in the right direction”.
In a joint statement, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the British Society of Urogynaecology said: “It is very important that women explore the range of non-surgical treatments, such as lifestyle interventions, physical therapies and medications, before considering surgical treatments. It is also crucial that women who need surgical procedures for these often distressing and debilitating conditions have access to these treatments.”
Owen Smith, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on surgical mesh implants, said: “While I am pleased that Nice is now taking action to advise against mesh as a first-line treatment, this announcement is well overdue. I have called on them to get on and urgently publish these guidelines for the last two years and I’m glad they have finally listened.”
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/09/vaginal-mesh-should-be-offered-last-resort-health-officials-say
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Vaginal mesh should only be offered by NHS ‘as last resort’
Oct 9, 2018 | The Independent
By Ella Pickover
Vaginal mesh implants should not be offered to women until they have explored all other possible options, according to the UK's health watchdog.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has issued new draft guidelines suggesting a full range of non-surgical interventions should be provided.
It is the latest development in the vaginal mesh scandal, a treatment that has led to complaints that it has left thousands of women in agony.
Mesh implants have been used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence after childbirth as well as to repair hernias in both men and women but hundreds have to be removed every year.
Over the past 10 months Nice has recommended the procedure should not be used for pelvic prolapse and their use for incontinence has been temporarily banned.
Now it has issued its latest draft guideline, which states that women should try a range of techniques before mesh is even considered, such as reducing the consumption of caffeine, losing weight and avoiding heavy lifting.
Other non-surgical options include medication, pelvic floor muscle training and behavioural therapies such as bladder training programmes.
Surgical mesh or tape should only be considered when non-surgical options have failed or are not possible, the institute added.
Nice also recommended that a national database should be set up to record all uses of surgical mesh in operations for stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse.
Women should be fully informed about the risks and be given a follow-up appointment six months after surgery to check for any side effects.
The draft guideline also recommends how complications associated with surgical mesh or tape surgery should be managed.
Sir Andrew Dillon, chief executive of Nice, said: "It is important that every woman is supported to make decisions that are right for her, consents to a procedure, and fully understands the benefits and risks of the procedure being offered before consenting to it. Where surgical mesh/tape could be an option, there is almost always another intervention recommended in our guideline, which does not involve surgical mesh/tape.
"If a surgeon cannot provide a full range of choices to the patient, then she should be referred to one who can. Surgeons must also record any intervention using surgical mesh/tape in a national database."
Commenting on the draft guideline, Kath Sansom of the campaign group Sling The Mesh said: "These draft guidelines are to be welcomed but they do not go far enough. Our ideal scenario is to see pelvic mesh stopped. Full stop. The risks are too great. It is totally unacceptable that women come out of a 'simple little operation' with shattered lives.
"One in seven have lost their marriages because of mesh. One in seven have lost their sex life. Eight out of 10 suffer pain so great it affects their daily life. More than half suffer ongoing urinary infections. Unsurprisingly many are suicidal and six in 10 are on anti-depressants."
Nice's formal guidance is expected in April next year.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/vaginal-mesh-operation-women-uk-nice-guideline-options-health-scandal-a8574856.html
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Women Should Only Be Offered Vaginal Mesh Surgery When They've Tried All Other Options, Says NICE
Oct 9, 2018 | Huffington Post
By Rachel Moss
Women should be offered a full range of non-surgical options before having vaginal mesh surgery, new draft guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) state.
The guidelines, for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) or pelvic organ prolapse, come in the wake of the vaginal mesh scandal, where hundreds of thousands of women worldwide reported life-changing complications after surgery, such as extreme pain and being unable to walk.
The guidelines also recommend the suspension on vaginal mesh surgery announced by the government in July continues until a set of criteria are met. These include registering all operations and any complications on a national database and ensuring surgery is being performed by specialist surgeons based at specialist centres.
But Kath Sansom, founder of campaign group Sling The Mesh, told HuffPost UK the guidelines “do not go far enough”.
“Our ideal scenario is to see pelvic mesh stopped. Full stop. The risks are too great. It is totally unacceptable that women come out of a ‘simple little operation’ with shattered lives,” she said.
Vaginal mesh, sometimes referred to as a “sling” or “tape”, is a synthetic material implant inserted into the body to join weakened tissue. It’s used to treat both pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence, which can affect women after childbirth.
There are a number of non-surgical options for both urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse detailed in the report, which NICE says should be considered before surgery.
The non-surgical options for urinary incontinence include:Lifestyle interventions (such as moderating caffeine intake and losing weight) Physical therapies (such as pelvic floor muscle training) Behavioural therapies (such as bladder training programmes)Medicines
Non-surgical options for pelvic organ prolapse include:Lifestyle modification (such as losing weight, avoiding heavy lifting)Topical oestrogenPelvic floor muscle trainingPessary management
Surgical interventions using surgical mesh should only be considered when non-surgical options have failed or are not possible, the report states.
In a statement given to HuffPost UK, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Surgical Mesh Implants, Owen Smith MP, said: “This is a welcome U-turn from NICE, who in their 2016 guidelines for mesh did not recommend any other treatment options for SUI and in fact stated that complications from mesh were ‘infrequent’.
“While I am pleased that NICE is now taking action to advise against mesh as a first-line treatment, this announcement is well overdue. I have called on them to get on and urgently publish these guidelines for the last two years and I’m glad they have finally listened. This news is also a complete vindication of the thousands of women injured by mesh surgery who have campaigned tirelessly to get the procedure halted.”
The NICE report also reiterates a national database should be set up to record all procedures involving the use of surgical mesh in operations for stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse, to help with future decision making.
In recent months women around the world have claimed they were unaware of potential risks of vaginal mesh surgery before undergoing their operations.
Cat Lee, a former Huddersfield University lecturer, who had to give up her job due to complications, said she initially jumped at the chance to have the surgery.
“Ten years on, I’m convinced that the so-called ‘simple’ vaginal mesh surgery has ruined my life,” the mum-of-two said. “I can only do the school run a few times a week and then, he [Cat’s youngest son, Charlie] has to walk alongside me in my mobility scooter. I can’t play with him like other mums and I don’t feel like much of a wife either.”
The new guidelines state that in the cases where it is agreed to use surgical mesh, women must be fully informed of the risks. A follow up appointment should be offered within six months to all women who have had urinary incontinence or prolapse surgery and any complications should be assessed and managed by consultants working at centres specialising on the issues.
Complications related to the device should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and details of the complications should be collected in a national registry.
Kath Sansom, founder of Sling The Mesh, told HuffPost UK: “These draft guidelines are to be welcomed but they do not go far enough.”
“NICE recommend mesh implants should only be used as second line treatment, but we want to make it the third line treatment option, to ensure only the smallest number of women are exposed to mesh risk,” she said.
“NICE say mesh can be offered after conservative treatments like physiotherapy or pessaries fail. But we say it should only be offered after both conservative treatments fail and after non-mesh surgeries fail. That way it is a belt and braces approach so that mesh truly is the last resort.”
A survey of Sling the Mesh members found one in seven have lost their marriages because of mesh and one in seven have lost their sex life. Eight out of 10 suffer pain so great it affects their daily life and more than half suffer ongoing urinary infections. Some members expressed suicidal thoughts and six in 10 are on anti depressants.
“Although we are delighted that finally NICE recognises the grave and serious complications, sadly many thousands of women have been harmed in the last 20 years,” Sansom added. “This guidance should have come a long time ago.”
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/women-should-only-be-offered-vaginal-mesh-surgery-when-theyve-tried-all-other-options-says-nice_uk_5bbb230ae4b01470d052e6be
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Vaginal mesh should only be offered after all other options explored, new guidelines state
Oct 9, 2018 | The Telegraph
Vaginal mesh should only be offered to women who have explored all other possible options, health officials have said.
A new draft guideline from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) states that those who suffer from stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse should be offered a full range of non-surgical options before an operation is considered.
The mesh scandal has seen thousands of women complain of being left in constant pain after having the implants, which have been offered to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence after childbirth.
In July, a "pause" was put in place on some mesh procedures in England until certain conditions are met - including the publication of Nice guidelines on the use of mesh for stress urinary incontinence. This means urine leaks out when the bladder is under pressure, such as when coughing or laughing..
Now Nice has issued its latest draft guideline on the management of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women, with formal guidance expected in April next year.
The draft document states that women should try a range of techniques before mesh is even considered.
The non-surgical options for urinary incontinence include lifestyle interventions including caffeine reduction, modifying fluid intake and weight loss; physical therapies such as pelvic floor muscle training; behavioural therapies such as bladder training programmes; or medication.
Non-surgical options for pelvic organ prolapse include lifestyle modifications including avoiding heavy lifting and preventing constipation, pelvic floor muscle training and pessary management, Nice said.
The draft guideline states that surgical interventions using surgical mesh/tape should only be considered when non-surgical options have failed or are not possible.
Meanwhile a national database should be set up to record all procedures involving the use of surgical mesh/tape in operations for stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse, Nice added.
Women should be fully informed about the risks and be given a follow-up appointment six months after surgery to check for any side effects.
The draft guideline also recommends how complications associated with surgical mesh or tape surgery should be managed.
Sir Andrew Dillon, chief executive of Nice, said: "It is important that every woman is supported to make decisions that are right for her, consents to a procedure, and fully understands the benefits and risks of the procedure being offered before consenting to it.
"Where surgical mesh/tape could be an option, there is almost always another intervention recommended in our guideline, which does not involve surgical mesh/tape.
"If a surgeon cannot provide a full range of choices to the patient, then she should be referred to one who can.
"Surgeons must also record any intervention using surgical mesh/tape in a national database."
Commenting on the draft guideline, Kath Sansom of the campaign group Sling The Mesh said: "These draft guidelines are to be welcomed but they do not go far enough.
"Our ideal scenario is to see pelvic mesh stopped. Full stop. The risks are too great. It is totally unacceptable that women come out of a 'simple little operation' with shattered lives.
"One in seven have lost their marriages because of mesh. One in seven have lost their sex life. Eight out of 10 suffer pain so great it affects their daily life. More than half suffer ongoing urinary infections. Unsurprisingly many are suicidal and six in 10 are on anti-depressants."
At least 92,000 women had a vaginal mesh implant in England in the eight years up to March 2015, with almost 10 per cent experiencing problems.
Patients have reported being left unable to walk, work or enjoy a sex life as a result of the pain.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/09/vaginal-mesh-should-offered-options-explored-new-guidelines/
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Mesh 'last option' for incontinence
Oct 9, 2018 | BBC News
Women who need treatment for urinary incontinence should only be offered mesh surgery as a last resort, new draft guidelines for the NHS advise.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says non-surgical options, like pelvic muscle exercises, are the first to turn to.
The NHS in England has already put restrictions on mesh operations after safety concerns.
Many women say the implants cause agony by cutting into tissue.
It is estimated that more than 100,000 UK women have had a mesh fitted. The net-like fabric can be attached into the wall of the vagina to act as a scaffold to support organs, such as the bladder, to keep them in the right place to help manage incontinence or another condition called prolapse.Hundreds sue NHS over 'barbaric' treatmentMesh led to 'excrutiating pain'What's the issue with mesh implants?
Mesh operations have not been banned altogether during the NHS "pause" - carefully selected patients continue to have access in discussion with their consultant.
The new guidelines for England make it clear that any woman considering having the surgery for incontinence or prolapse should be fully aware of the possible risks:pain and/or painful intercourseinfectionvaginal bleeding or dischargebowel problems
Patients and doctors should report any complications associated with the implants to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Details of the complications should be logged in a national registry.
Sir Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, said: "Where surgical mesh/tape could be an option, there is almost always another intervention recommended in our guideline, which does not involve surgical mesh/tape. If a surgeon cannot provide a full range of choices to the patient, then she should be referred to one who can."
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and The British Society of Urogynaecology both welcomed the NICE guidelines.
But Kath Sansom, from the campaign group Sling The Mesh, said the guidelines did not go far enough.
"Our ideal scenario is to see pelvic mesh stopped. Full stop. The risks are too great. It is totally unacceptable that women come out of a 'simple little operation' with shattered lives."
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-45783127
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Vaginal mesh surgery only to be used as a last resort
Oct 9, 2018 | Sky News
The UK's medical watchdog has recommended that all vaginal mesh surgery should be used as a last resort.
The long awaited draft guidelines from the The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) signal a significant departure from its previous position which stated that the benefits from vaginal mesh implants outweighed the risks.
The u-turn follows a government suspension on vaginal mesh surgery in July after the Prime Minister ordered a review into the safety of the controversial device.
In its new guidance NICE recommends that:
:: Surgical interventions using surgical mesh/tape should only be considered when non-surgical options have failed or are not possible.
:: A national database should be set up to record all procedures involving the use of surgical mesh/tape in operations for stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse to help with future decision making.
:: In the cases where it is agreed to use surgical mesh/tape, women must be fully informed of the risks.
Professor Gillian Leng, NICE's deputy chief executive, said the committee had used the data and evidence from women to reach their conclusions.
She said: "I don't think this is the end of vaginal mesh but it signals limited use in very specific circumstances.
"If a woman does think this is going to be the right option then that surgery will have to be carried out by a specially trained surgeon in a regional centre, which to date was not happening."
Sky News first reported on the complications of mesh surgery three years ago. The implant is made out of polypropylene plastic and has been used for decades to treat stress urinary incontinence mainly brought on after childbirth.
It is inserted through the vagina and designed to support the bladder like a sling but once inside the body it can stiffen, erode and cut through organs.
Joanne Lloyd, 52, from Warrington had vaginal mesh surgery in 2004 to treat her incontinence brought on after the birth of her three children. She says she wasn't told of the risks and rather it was a quick fix operation. However, it left her in constant pain.
"I was an active 38 year old before the surgery and used to love walking and being sociable," she said.
"Now my 78 year-old mother is fitter than me. She can play football with my son, I can't."
Joanne has had corrective surgery to have the mesh removed but says the damage has been done.
"It has destroyed my health, I'll never get it back to the way it was. It's impacted on every part of my life. I have back pain, leg pain, pain all over really."
Joanne says she only realised her symptoms were caused by her mesh last year when she heard about the campaign group Sling the Mesh and the complications other women were experiencing.
The Facebook group was set up by Kath Sansom in 2015 with a few members and now has almost seven thousand.
Kath Sansom said: "We're really delighted that NICE are taking this seriously and setting up a national register. But this is also tinged with sadness because there has been 20 years of harm.
"It's not over as in my opinion the draft NICE guidelines don't go far enough."
Chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Surgical Mesh Implants, Owen Smith MP said: "This is a welcome u-turn from NICE, who in their 2016 guidelines for mesh did not recommend any other treatment options for SUI and in fact stated that complications from mesh were 'infrequent'.
"While I am pleased that NICE is now taking action to advise against mesh as a first-line treatment, this announcement is well overdue. I have called on them to get on and urgently publish these guidelines for the last two years and I'm glad they have finally listened.
"This news is also a complete vindication of the thousands of women injured by mesh surgery who have campaigned tirelessly to get the procedure halted."
The final guidelines are due to be published in April next year.
https://news.sky.com/story/vaginal-mesh-surgery-only-to-be-used-as-a-last-resort-11521657
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