Mesh

Submitted by Betty Boop on February 1, 2011 - 12:00pm
Body: 

I am new to this site but felt compelled to share my cautionary tale. I am a now 56 yo post-menopausal woman. I have had 4 normal vaginal deliveries. I underwent surgery for a grade 3 rectocele June of 2010. Unfortunately against my better judgement I had the polypropylene mesh implanted. Five weeks post-op I started to experience burning pain which was localized to the tack and mesh used on left sacral ligament. In November 2010 I went for a second surgery to remove the tack and that piece of mesh. The pain resolved in that area but again about 5 weeks post-op I developed diffuse burning pain. Two weeks ago I underwent a third surgery to remove all of the mesh. So far I am having general post-op pain but no burning pain. The mesh was totally encapsulated.
Please do your research before consenting to surgery and trust your gut feelings. If I could do it all over again I would have lived with the problem or at most considered an "old fashion" repair. I have filed a report with the FDA and encourage all woman who have had problems to do so.

Sammy

February 2, 2011 - 7:58am

I wish when surgeons presented women with Mesh fixes for sags that they would identify the procedures as experimental- wish the FDA or whoever monitors surgical procedures in a caring society would do this.

I would not have gone for the sacrol colpopexy whose mesh is now loose by my bowels etc when I judged it to be odd if I had been told it was experimental as I would label it.
I have fluid that smells like the guts of fowl we use to prepare for dinner on the farm coming from somewhere up my vagina. i am scheduled for surgery next week - even the new surgeion appears annoyed with the problem i have.

louiseds

February 2, 2011 - 10:06pm

This has gone on for too long. I do hope it goes well. All our prayers will be with you.

Louise

Sammy

February 15, 2011 - 1:38pm

I am home from mesh excision last week.
Not yet fully recovered- sore a bit dizzy and tired and weak
Dr said surgery was a challenge but the other doctor was superb. The mesh was deep inside me and it was removed laproscopically.
A type of tunnel had grown from the mesh and a type of bacteria was causing a fluid to drain vaginally that smelt like intestines of the Christmas Turkey on the farm. There was a hole in the vagina that this fluid has drained from for about 2.5 yrs. I got used to taking care of that.
The mesh apparently was ~ 2 inches long and they got most of it - as much as they safely could.

I have a lot of healing to do and am presented if I wish with a sacrospinous fixation and A&P repairs and a Mini arc ( i figure this is to counteract the incontinence which may result from A&P)

But I wish to be fitted with a pessary and see how this unfolds. I think that is my better choice- Noone knows how AWFUL surgery is - we forget what it is like to be hungry, sore, tired, drugged and paining. Getting out of bed with a cut and bruised belly is AWFUL.

Since I have come home- the large baseball sized vaginal hernia with bladder and bowel inside it has not come out not once... I love it.

I cannot see that returning to work on the factory floor is going tohelp me and hope to make decisions accordingly... there actually is enough physical work keeping my housetidy.

I am really tired now so bye and I would appreciate any comments on the sacrospinoud fixation thing.

Christine

February 15, 2011 - 6:00pm

Dear Sammy,

I'm so glad to hear that the worst is over. Please rest as much as possible and know we are sending lots of healing vibes your way.

The sacrospinous ligament fixation sutures the vagina to one side of the back of the pelvis (vagina isn't long enough to reach both ss ligaments). It is not without long-term problems and has been largely replaced by the sacrocolpopexy. If you have Saving the Whole Woman, I go into detail about it there.

Hugs from Christine

Sammy

February 16, 2011 - 1:29pm

Thank so much Christine- yes surgery was awful and if it all heals and no more infection so worth it.

I have ordered Saving the Whole Woman from a phone order as we have never ordered anything over web and will be looking for its shippment,.

louiseds

February 19, 2011 - 8:38am

Hi Betty Boop and Sammy

What a relief that the surgery is behind both of you now. It is a radical and brave thing to entrust your body once again to those who have damaged you, but what is the alternative?

Here's hoping the results are good in the longer term. They couldn't be a lot worse than you were. Hugs to both of you.

Louise

Sammy

April 11, 2011 - 10:19am

Am reading Saving the Whole Woman-- It is a challenging book.
really enjoy some of chapters and am overwhelmed by some(the exercises)
Took some pics of my sag before the sacralcolpopexy (with concommitant super cervical hyst.) and some of the sag 2 years later when the mesh actually broke and the sag returned... I think this is lack of professional attention that caused this and that is sad- Anyway , showed pics to my 90 yr old mom (when she came in as i was showing them to my nurse/sister )...They are pretty scary- I took them to indicate to myself why I need to stay off work- The sores, chaffing and stretched birth canal ( Hangs out the size of a large baseball when I stand/walk too long) are not normal. My sense of self compassion is saying I should move less to help get over the immense discomfort. I am scheduled for a 2nd MRI as the infection is still present(my body tries to get rid of some foreign mesh somewhere)
I am hearing of others in area where I live who are looking for doctor's help for pelvic sags and I do not hesitate to share that surgery has made me less well.

mschulew

August 2, 2015 - 8:23pm

Hi,

I am new to this site. I have a friend who I know through the ministry that we attended together who I am doing research for to help her with POP related health challenges.

She is feeling overwhelmed by the trauma of what she has been through since having undergone mesh implant surgery in 2007 (Johnson & Johnson/Ethicon TVT-O implant), which is why she asked me to look into whatever might be of help to provide relief of the severe pain she is experiencing, which epidural anasthetic injections and 1800 mg/day gabapentin is not providing adequate relief for.

Also, since she has litigation pending, she has to be cautious about all forms of recorded communication that can be traced to her, so as to not jeopardize her case.

She is planning on undergoing mesh removal surgery, but until that time, she is seeking any form of safe effective relief she can make use of.

My concern in recommending the exercises explained on this site is that with the mesh still in her body, the exercises might aggravate her internal injuries from the mesh.

Would any of you please provide any useful information/resources she can make use to provide comfort and reduce incidences of acute flair-ups of complications such as bladder infections and loss of control of urination and bowel movement?

If any of you feel you have a good knowledge of any aspect of this that would be best communicated with a phone conversation with her, and you are willing to have that phone conversation with her, would you please let me know?

Thanks for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Michael
732-272-5172

Surviving60

August 3, 2015 - 4:47am

A direct consult with Christine Kent is the only thing I can think of that might help your friend. We do have one member here who is experienced with mesh, but unless she comes on to comment, there is no way to get in touch. I certainly would not be recommending Whole Woman exercises. - Surviving