Welcome to Carl Muzi, Attorney at Law

Hernia Mesh Side Effects:

Whether implanted laparoscopically or through open surgery, mesh devices are commonly used to strengthen weakened or damaged tissue in hernia repair procedures. The flexible sheets, which can be synthetic or animal-tissue based, grew in popularity as a hernia repair technique throughout the 1980s, and accounted for roughly 90 percent of procedures by 2000, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The devices are believed to minimize time spent in surgery as well as recovery. If defective, however, they can cause severe complications.  

Hernia mesh made of non-absorbable Marlex polypropylene may cause serious side effects, including:

• Mesh removal and other surgeries related to the original mesh

• Adhesions

• Bacterial infections

• Mesh migration

• Obstructions

• Pain

• Swelling

Unfortunately, some hernia mesh complications may be so severe that they cause death.

Johnson and Johnson

Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, withdrew its Physiomesh hernia mesh product from the market in May 2016 following its review of two unpublished studies that showed a higher failure rate of the Ethicon hernia mesh compared to that of other, similar hernia repair devices.

The two unpublished analyses conducted by Herniamed German Registry and Danish Hernia Database determined Ethicon’s hernia recurrence and reoperation rates were higher than average.

Ethicon Hernia Mesh was first approved in April 2010 under FDA 510(k) clearance, meaning it did not require FDA review or clinical trials to evaluate its safety before being placed on the market.