Women suing Company Over Prolapse Item

Body: 

I have just heard on the news where women here will be suing a certain company for failed prolapse surgery. They were fitted with failed implants. I think it's mesh. I have never had the nerve to have surgery so I am ok. Apparently it's been terrible for these women. I will let you know more when I hear more. I have a rectocele and the doctors wanted to operate but I was too scared to have surgery. I'm pleased I listened to Whole Woman. Am I allowed to mention the companies name next time?

Forum:

Hi Cleo! You sure can post the name of the company that's being sued. It's all public knowledge, in the news, and anyone can read about it. So post as much info here as you want. We love knowing we made the right choice by avoiding all that stuff! - Surviving

Hi Surviving 60, Christine, And Other Ladies, The name of the company is Johnson & Johnson here in Australia. One woman had six operations and some ladies are suffering from incontinence, chronic pain and mesh erosion. It is estimated to be this countries biggest product class action. It was said at least 30,000 implants had been used in Australia. I'm sorry it turned out this way for women here. Some ladies have had the implants out. I was hurt by a doctor once so I don't trust them. He was examining me and pulled at me so hard I screamed. I went to him for heavy bleeding in menopause. The nurse said forget about surgery for fibroids he wanted me to have. I have no fibroids now. The company has now discontinued the device. The trouble is everyone hides prolapse here and that is why women get caught up in all of this trouble with doctors. I didn't tell anyone a gynaecologist had hurt me. I thought I wouldn't be believed. I also took a tablet I think might have hurt me too.

The Gynaecologist I saw before my rectocele years ago who pulled at me and put me through pain is not allowed to operate on his own. Also some women have died because of his surgery and been damaged for life so I can't complain about him. Also he had an operation that ruined him for life. It was done by another doctor friend of his. Well I know heaps but don't we all. It's almost impossible to sue doctors and drug companies.

Cleo, it does sound like you got a bad apple for a doctor. But for the most part, docs are just doing what they were trained to do, to the best of their ability. The problem is that doctors still don't understand the female pelvis and continue to ply their trade and inflict damage on women. It's scary to think that we women have to know enough to stay away from the professionals! I've never even talked to a doctor about my 'celes because I'm afraid that when I hear what they have to say, I will lose all confidence in them, and never want to go back. - Surviving

Yes, Surviving60, I certainly had the wrong doctor at the time. He operated on one woman and several others who either died or had serious complications. One lady died having her bladder fixed. It wasn't fair. I don't talk to my GP now very much about my prolapse problems because they can't do anything but send me to surgeons who might operate on me and mess it up. With the Gynaecologist who operated on women and messed them up I told my GP but he said just don't go back. What can we do?

This is the plan(?) for me, if I go with the doctors' desires.

I think I'll 'fix it' myself, thank you very much!!

:-)
w2k

I would like to think that we have turned a corner with regards to this surgery. In the last three years I have been to four different gyo/uro's in different parts of the country. ( I know that sounds like overkill but I have recurring UTI's). Three out of the four did not recommend surgery for my stage 3 cystocele and stage 1 rectocele. I really believe that with all new procedures it takes many years and lawsuits for the doctors to get the feedback that they need.

I think of my Grandmother who was born in 1886 and died in 1978. I think she had bladder prolapse but no way of knowing - she had difficulty with control in her last yrs but never went near a doctor- I sought their help because I worked in a factory lifting stuff and on cement floors and my prolapse hurt... Mesh was used and failed - it was a simple 5 cm piece of Ethicon prolene sutured in and it was pathetic the additional trouble it caused my simple life- I wonder about 3rd world woman who were offered this - it makes me sick to think at least I had additional sympathy in having it removed and in this site. In my grandmother s day I suspect women would just slow down and in no way even mention this private thing to a doctor- lucky them!

Sammy, I do think you were lucky to be able to have the mesh removed, as I understand that's very difficult. Did they get all of it? - Surviving

The mesh had been completely covered with a noodle like tract. The surgeons voiced that it was quite interesting... I was told it was complex and that they had taken out as much as was safely possible. I believe the younger surgeon may have done it before not sure... It had eroded thru my vagina with the inputting doctor having tried to rectify by snipping pieces off both in his office and in surgery. It had been abdominally situated and wore thru my vagina. The removal was done laproscopically by different doctors. The cervix and vagina totally fell back down and the discharge was copious for 2 yrs before I agreed to this surgical removal of it as they warned me it could damage bladder and bowel. I was informed that more surgery would have to be abdominal and it would be major and they are now not sure - there may not be any left-- MIR did not show any....However my back is forever sensitive to this slicing and sewing and severing but no pain. I have heard of the lawsuits but feel the stress and any monetary gain would not balance out but if I talk negatively about surgical intervention for this defect for the rest of my days I will be vindicated

but if you speak out against it, you may save many other women from making the same mistake.

I appreciate your openness. Surgery for ANY of my woman's problems is OUT as far as I am concerned because of the history of problems that I am reading here on this forum

Thanks to all of you

:-)
w2k

Hello Sammy,
Thank you so much for coming on here and letting us know first hand what mesh can to do our bodies. It really reinforces the reason to not have mesh in the first place, and hopefully someone who is on the fence about having surgery will definetly think twice about it.
Thank you!!

Sammy, I thank you as well.....you are a brave woman with a very generous spirit who has turned a bad experience into something you can use to help the world. Not one of us knows what we would do in any given situation, until we are in it; but I like to think that my reaction would be the same as yours. I doubt I would have the stomach to get involved in a lawsuit (certainly not the resources either) at a time when the real priority needs to be getting on with life. Thank you for putting a personal "face" on the whole mesh issue and for positioning yourself on a site like WW where women who might be "on the fence" can get good information. You are a dear. - Surviving

Dear Sammy,
Thankyou, & I feel the same way as Surviving 60,
May you have peace & follow your dreams.
(((hugs))) & best wishes,
Aussie Soul Sister

You are kind-
Even though, I understand making medical supply companies and doctors and hospitals responsible for as the oath says "doing no harm" and if that means financial compensation to those harmed to keep the oath enforced, then so be it.

Cleo, If you will research "blue mesh" here, you'll find several relative threads.

Sammy, I had noted in a recent thread on mesh lawsuits that it takes more time than money to be involved in a class action suit. Let me be a little clearer, in case you may still consider that you should have some compensation for your troubles (not knowing what lies in your future). It took no money beyond initial (and local) travel expenses and a little time for medical evaluation and depositions (for which travel expenses were paid by the law firm handling the case). Of course, expenses ultimately come out of your award (lawyers take at least 30%) but without the lawyers you have nothing. Class action suits are designed to combat corporations who can afford to fight you until all your resources are depleted...and they are effective.

It has been a while since I posted on here- just wanted to add that in Feb 2015 I started to throw up at 10 at nite and paced floor for hours so uncomfortable and went to emergency about 2 am- they said it was a stomach flue (which I never get) and I went home 11 am next day. April 8 2015, I removed my donut pessary and noticed it did not have the usual discharge(smelly and brownish) - on the towel under me I looked and could not believe what was there- it took me a moment to realize that it was mesh-- the piece the uro gyn and his team could not get out(the piece sutured to my sacral ligament) - it was about 3 cm long but bunched up and still had the blue sutures tied to it- I went back into emger but what was to be done?? I went to urogyn and was told it was fortuitous that this happened- I now have no discharge and am really feeling strange about the medical help I received in the treatment of my prolapse and wish so much I hadn't let them interfere with my sagging uterus- I had this stinky bloody discharge from about June 2008 until April 2015 - it started out small in 2008- got copious to 2011 when I had most of mesh surgically removed and then stopped April 2015- I told urogyn it rotted out of me and he said he wouldn't use such strong words and I told him if he smelt it all the time he would agree it rotted out- I had never cried so much in his office- tears of relief I think- so mad I phone a lawsuit office re Ethicon mesh but was told they are dealing only with vaginally inserted mesh- mine was abdominally inserted- I am left with the prolapse and use the donut pessary still and yeast infections are now my issue. Being retired makes it possible to live with this

Hi Sammy, nice to hear from you, and wow, what a story. I think it's amazing that your body had the capacity for a sort of self-healing, where it finally expelled on its own, that which the surgeons were powerless to remove. I have to think that in the months to come, you will be feeling a little better each day. I hope you'll keep us posted as your tissues work to renew themselves after the onslaught. Do you use honey? I bet it would help. Or maybe not for yeast? - Surviving

Thanks Surviving 60 - I have not gotten satisfying medical info as to how this mesh got out- it is a big piece bunched together with sutures still in it - it was attached to sacral ligament and somehow worked out my insides.-escaping all the perilous bowel(though I was extrmely nauseous for hours in Feb)bladder, blood vessels, nerves not to mention wall of vagina and the remainder of my uterus and cervix which are still with me-- I have use honey and do need something to deal with yeast - It is pure white and sometimes thick- no odour...Caneston and Monistat have been recommended..Would you know how serious is a chronic yeast growth - (for sure caused by donut pessary)

Thanks Tanglefoot!