Hernia Mesh Patch Recall - FDA Warns of Death and Serious Healt...

Is there any help for trouble with real old meshes? Mine was done in 1995 and removed due to infection in 2009. Thanks

I am looking for a Hernia specialist in or near Pittsburgh Pa. who is progressive and good and who possibly uses tension free technique. I have very painful incisional hernia that needs help ASAP. Want the best most up to date procedures. thanx appreciation

You may want to travel. Someone listed a number of good surgeons around the country.

To Dave

I am doing a little better now.(I should be a little cautious about saying this because I have had some ups and downs.) But I am still scheduled to have a upper endoscopy. Apparently they can see some things that cannot be seen with an upper GI/Barium exam. If they don't see anything, would this be promising in your mind, Dave?

Steamer wrote:

To Dave
I am doing a little better now.(I should be a little cautious about saying this because I have had some ups and downs.) But I am still scheduled to have a upper endoscopy. Apparently they can see some things that cannot be seen with an upper GI/Barium exam. If they don't see anything, would this be promising in your mind, Dave?

Can sometimes see twisting of the wrap. Yes

Carolann Hayes wrote:

<quoted text>
I found a wonderful surgeon to help my husband with his recurrent incisional hernias. Please get in touch with Carolinas Hernia Center. They are experts and can work miracles. The surgeons name is Todd Heniford. You can find this on the internet. May God Bless.

My husband had umbilical hernia's over the years and recently he has had trouble going to the bathroom and moving his bowels. He had an incident at the VA Hospital in Lexington where he could hardly work, severe pains in his stomach, so he went to the emergency room and they put him in and inserted a NG tube up his nose and into his stomach and drained out his stomach. He had a blocked bowel. They sent him home the next day. They told him if he had a dissented stomach and the same pain that he should get to the emergency room again. It happened a second time, emergency room again and they put him upstairs and NG tube down his stomach and drained him again. Sent him home the next day, and said to watch his stomach and if he can't go to the bathroom to get to the emergency room again. Well, it happened a third time in a span of a week and a half. Emergency room, put him on the surgery floor, NG tube again and drained him stomach and then they did surgery on him. The doctor opened his stomach and found that he had mesh from a hernia had lifted and crushed the bowel. That is what was blocking it. He cut out the bowel that needed repair and stitch up the two ends together. He was in the hospital for over a week. He is home now and bowel working good. They wouldn't let him home until gas and bowel movement happened. He is sore, but doing ok. This had been going on for years. His first hernia was done back in 1990, 1995, 2002. The symtoms my husband had were severe pain, distented stomach, could go to the bathroom. Everything was backing up into his stomach. It is serious, so hopefully your husband has gotten the help he needed.

Dave: Followup,

I had a repeat upper endoscopy and everything looked normal. They said the left shoulder pain, etc. should gradually disappear. I get the impression that there can be some pain issues with repeat Nissens that take awhile to resolve.
All the tests showed now hiatal hernia and everything where it should be.
They gave me Hyomax for chest muscle spasms and said to resume Aleve after a couple of days. I feel more hopeful after this 2nd opinion that things are on the road to recovery. I did ask about the EsophyX and the doctor said they are working on new and better devices for heartburn. So if this type of thing is perfected in the future, I could probably have the NIssen taken down and replaced with a newer modern device.

gail wrote:

I am looking for a Hernia specialist in or near Pittsburgh Pa. who is progressive and good and who possibly uses tension free technique. I have very painful incisional hernia that needs help ASAP. Want the best most up to date procedures. thanx appreciation

stay away from Allegheny General and Shady Side Hospitals. Do not let them use a mesh patch. Triple check the anestheia inserted -- even if your write down you're allergic -- nurses ignore. You have to instruct the surgeon that you want a tension free repair other wise they'll stick you with a patch and you'll be in the hospital more than out for the rest of your life. Been there done that

find another surgeon and get the patch removed IMMEDIATELY Pain management is A CROCK. It is likely that your nerves have grown into the patch or were already entrapped by it or that you have a fecalith forming (blockage), blocking blood flow --- once one nerve is entrapped -- the biochemistry in the area changes and signal transmission becomes more and more disrupted. "Pain Management' means (a) do physical therapy --(which will only cause more damage and obscure the root cause) and (b) take drugs -- which for the most part -- are not worth the long term effects. Been there done that -- lost 4 inches of my intestine during emergency surgery because of "conservative measures." A CT scan will may show a small blockage is forming (it may be characterized as a blood clot or a cyst --some will tell you it will go away because it never occurs to them it is the formation of a fecalith (rock solid fecies) which in turn, will put pressure on your other organs and eventually compromise your walking.- A kidney stone can be caused by laxatives such as sodium phosphate). The C -- it may look like a blood clot or cyst. Don't buy "it will go away." Pain management is just a term for "you need psychiatric help" because of a mechanical failure on the part of the patch manufacturer. Psychatric help is usually some sort of drug -- most of which cause arrythmias, interfer with vagus nerve response (motility <ability to digest food>, breath and pump blood). It's not worth the wait. Entrapped nerves do not show up on CT scans or ultrasounds. My sharp pain form a mesh hernia patch started the first time I ate after surgery (a) entrapped nerve (b) repair to an inguinal hernia -- he missed a femoral hernia - I had to go out of state to have it removed. DON'T WAIT. AND DON'T WAIT TO FIND A BETTER DOCTOR. IT'S NOT WORTH IT. The manufactures of the patch list known side/adverse effects right on their packaging. Call them if you have to --if your symptoms match their known adverse effects -- which your post indicates -- you do not walk -- you run to the nearest expert on patch removal. CONSERVATIVE MEASURES SUCH AS THE PAIN MANAGEMENT YOU DESCRIBED WILL ONLY INCREASE THE DAMAGE CREATED. DON'T WAIT TO END UP WITH A BOWEL RESECTION WHERE THEY CUT OUT THE PATCH AND YOUR INTESTINE. YOU'LL PAY FOR IT WITH YOUR LIFE.

TEST

WASHINGTON D.C.

Janice Bembry wrote:

I had the Gore-Tex Dual Mesh used in a ventral hernia repair in 2004. I've had nothing but problems with it since.I've had numerous places drained after mesh got infected, been hospitalized and also had places drained under local anesthetic in doctor's office several times. I no longer see that doctor since he has relocated to another state. Now I've been to new doctor who has operated twice and I have permanent drainage after he has removed some mesh twice. He says if he operates again I may end up wearing a "bag" because some of my bowel may be caught up in the mesh that's left in me. I have to change the dressing on my abdoman at least twice a day and it has a terrible odor that I can smell all the time. If you know of anything that is being done about this, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Janice S Bembry
little_inezz2006@yahoo.com

I had my hernia surgery in 2004and 5 days later developed mrsa. They put me on vancomyacin for about 3 weeks through a vein in the neck which was a painfll ordeal. I t healed up for a while now I keep having the infections, have been cut 2 or 3 times to release the pus and fluids. they heal and come back, burst open and it starts all over again. I am bandaged up and on antibiotics 3 weeks out of the month. It heals for a week then starts over again. This has been going on for 2 to 3 years now and I don't know what to do. My surgeon passed away and no one seems to care they just keep subscribing antibiotic which make you very sick and i'm tired of being taped up 3 weeks out of the month. I don't know where to turn to next. any ides you have will help tremendesly.

I forgot to say I also had the gor tex.

TEST POST wrote:

WASHINGTON D.C.

Dr. Goodyear at North Penn has recommended the Hernia Institute of Florida.
Now someone says that they visited this institute and they recommended a heavyweight mesh. This is contrary to the latest thinking. Should we listen to Goodyear?

Mesh Patch WARNING wrote:

find another surgeon and get the patch removed IMMEDIATELY Pain management is A CROCK. It is likely that your nerves have grown into the patch or were already entrapped by it or that you have a fecalith forming (blockage), blocking blood flow --- once one nerve is entrapped -- the biochemistry in the area changes and signal transmission becomes more and more disrupted. "Pain Management' means (a) do physical therapy --(which will only cause more damage and obscure the root cause) and (b) take drugs -- which for the most part -- are not worth the long term effects. Been there done that -- lost 4 inches of my intestine during emergency surgery because of "conservative measures." A CT scan will may show a small blockage is forming (it may be characterized as a blood clot or a cyst --some will tell you it will go away because it never occurs to them it is the formation of a fecalith (rock solid fecies) which in turn, will put pressure on your other organs and eventually compromise your walking.- A kidney stone can be caused by laxatives such as sodium phosphate). The C -- it may look like a blood clot or cyst. Don't buy "it will go away." Pain management is just a term for "you need psychiatric help" because of a mechanical failure on the part of the patch manufacturer. Psychatric help is usually some sort of drug -- most of which cause arrythmias, interfer with vagus nerve response (motility <ability to digest food>, breath and pump blood). It's not worth the wait. Entrapped nerves do not show up on CT scans or ultrasounds. My sharp pain form a mesh hernia patch started the first time I ate after surgery (a) entrapped nerve (b) repair to an inguinal hernia -- he missed a femoral hernia - I had to go out of state to have it removed. DON'T WAIT. AND DON'T WAIT TO FIND A BETTER DOCTOR. IT'S NOT WORTH IT. The manufactures of the patch list known side/adverse effects right on their packaging. Call them if you have to --if your symptoms match their known adverse effects -- which your post indicates -- you do not walk -- you run to the nearest expert on patch removal. CONSERVATIVE MEASURES SUCH AS THE PAIN MANAGEMENT YOU DESCRIBED WILL ONLY INCREASE THE DAMAGE CREATED. DON'T WAIT TO END UP WITH A BOWEL RESECTION WHERE THEY CUT OUT THE PATCH AND YOUR INTESTINE. YOU'LL PAY FOR IT WITH YOUR LIFE.

This sounds EXACTLY like what I have been experiencing for 7 years and now I am having problems with my kidneys, I feel like my kidneys are starting to fail me, and I fear it is from the defective mesh I had implanted. Do you have any more information on the effects the mesh has on the kidneys? I had mesh removed once from the inside of my abdominal wall and experienced everything you described, and I still have mesh in me from a second implant on the outside of the abdominal wall and don't know if I should have it removed or wait until it starts causing more problems. You sound so knowledgeable about this I would love to visit more with you, if you could find the time. I have been through hell and back and now no Dr. wants to help me, I am being sent to pain management for the 3rd time and the pills are no answer to this problem.

Sincerely,

JLS

Steamer wrote:

Dave: Followup,
I had a repeat upper endoscopy and everything looked normal. They said the left shoulder pain, etc. should gradually disappear. I get the impression that there can be some pain issues with repeat Nissens that take awhile to resolve.
All the tests showed now hiatal hernia and everything where it should be.
They gave me Hyomax for chest muscle spasms and said to resume Aleve after a couple of days. I feel more hopeful after this 2nd opinion that things are on the road to recovery. I did ask about the EsophyX and the doctor said they are working on new and better devices for heartburn. So if this type of thing is perfected in the future, I could probably have the NIssen taken down and replaced with a newer modern device.

No Nissen fundoplication is the "gold standard". Esophyx would most likely benefit patients with minor reflux issues.

Mesh Patch Danger wrote:

<quoted text>
" A MESH PATCH WILL ENTRAP YOUR NERVES" CAUSING SEVERE PAIN AND INJURY - TO YOUR ENTIRE GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM -- URINARY TRACT, INTESTINES, CREATE KIDNEY STONES -- KIDNEY FAILURE, AND WORSE. GIVEN THE CHOICE -- LET THEM SEW YOU UP THE OLD FASHION PROVEN WAY -- THREAD AND A NEEDLE. AVOID COLON CLEANSING CHEMICALS -- SODIUM PHOSPHATE, POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL -- RESULT IN KIDNEY DISEASE -- BLOOD CLOTS THROUGHOUT YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM --

Thanks for the reply. I posted the urinary problems which Dave responded to. Recently I have obtained my operative report and have found out that I have 2 Marlex mesh plugs with patch overlays, one in my femoral canal and one in my transverse abdomen. I can't bend over. It feels like someone has a stick in my stomach.I also have constant burning with pain down my leg and up through my hip. It seems to me, that at least the doctors I have seen really don't want to give out any info on this subject. It is as if they have no clue what your talking about.I am not looking for litigation or a so called "case". I want to find a solution to this problem. All I get is pain management from the 2 surgeons I have seen.

John wrote:

<quoted text>
I had hernia surgery in Feb of 2006 and I've had nearly constant lower abdominal ever since. Exact issue, in that doctors don't really see anything wrong so I'm expected to just live with it. So I do, but some days are really bad. I don't know if my mesh was of the recalled stock. Does anyone know if a surgical report would mention the brand?

Hi John,
My surgical report did say it was a Marlex plug but it did not give the serial number as I was told it should.

i have had many hernia surgeries by different dr.s my latest in 09 where they said a piesce of mesh had broken from before sytoms i have had and still have is constant feeling of pressure inside have had fluid drain many times they have in the past went back in and place a rain tube then they had to just leave it opened and pack it with guaze till it healed today my tummy busted and a bunch of fluid came out so they did a culture and i know it will come back as mrsa infection just like it has the last 8 times i have been opwerated on in my tummy area ever since the first piece of mesh has been put in the last 4 surgeries i have had as ended up being opened 3 per surgery i have had to have surgeries on other parts of my body with no problems