Organ perforation, such as  bowel perforation, is a serious matter caused by defective hernia mesh. There is a surgical implant used to repair hernias known as hernia mesh. This mesh is designed to help support any tissue that could have been damaged by the formation of a hernia. The surgical mesh implant is placed across a gap created by a hernia and connects the surrounding tissue. Some physicians believe the hernia mesh is better than sutures. There is a high rate of hernia recurrence with sutures. Mesh does decrease the rate of hernias recurring, but it can also result in a number of complications (hernia mesh failure symptoms) including abdominal mesh  complications. One of the more common and serious complications is organ perforation. Organ perforation can result from any of the popular hernia mesh brands. Sadly, it can be one of the hernia mesh complications and problems years later. If you have suffered organ perforation as a result of hernia mesh you may be able to file a hernia mesh lawsuit to get justice and compensation.

organ-perforation

Hernia mesh organ perforation complications

Organ Perforation

This occurs when a hole is created in organs and neighboring tissue. According to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), an organ perforation is one of the most common complications after hernia mesh surgery. It can result from improper surgical techniques as well as improper placement of the mesh. It’s also possible for hernia mesh to fail. The most common reason for organ perforation is defective mesh. After the surgery, the mesh will move and poke a hole in an internal organ and perforate it. When this happens, it is an injury separate from the initial surgery. The organs most often perforated are the blood vessels, bladder, bowels, and urinary tract.

“Bowel perforation results from insult or injury to the mucosa of the bowel wall resulting from a violation of the closed system. This exposes the structures within the peritoneal cavity to gastrointestinal contents. Bowel perforation can be secondary to many factors, most commonly inflammation, infection, obstruction, trauma, or invasive procedure. Patients presenting with abdominal pain and distension, especially in the appropriate historical setting, must be evaluated for this entity as delayed diagnosis can be life-threatening due to the risk of developing infections such as peritonitis.” NCBI

“Intestinal perforation (IP) is a life-threatening gastroenterological condition requiring urgent surgical care, which may present itself as an uncommon complication following incisional hernia repair surgery, most often because of iatrogenic traumatism occurring during the procedure.” Id.

Bowel Perforation

“A bowel perforation is a hole in the lining of your colon. When this happens, the contents of your digestive tract can leak out from the affected site. This may lead to a life-threatening or even fatal infection. Seek emergency care right away if you have symptoms.” Very well health

“‘The contents of the bowel can leak out through the hole in the colon wall. Gastric acids, bacteria, and food particles can leak into the abdominal cavity that contains many of your internal organs. It is normally sterile, meaning it is free from such contamination. The leaked bowel contents can lead to infection and inflammation. It also can cause an abscess, or pus-filled space, to form in your abdomen. Usually, this will cause a great deal of pain. When this happens, it is called peritonitis. This painful infection can lead to a body-wide infection called sepsis. These conditions are life-threatening and often fatal when they are left untreated.” Id.

“Complications of an untreated perforation may include:

Medical Emergency

Any time an individual experiences an organ perforation, it’s a medical emergency. It is necessary for this person to get immediate medical care. An organ perforation is a life-threatening condition. The sooner a person gets diagnosed and treated, the better their chances for a full recovery.

Complications

Any type of organ perforation is a very serious situation. Should it not be treated immediately, it could lead to serious complications. When an organ is perforated, it can release various substances into a person’s body. Should a person experience a gastrointestinal perforation, it could result in waste being released into their body. Should these substances not be taken out as fast as possible, they can enter a person’s bloodstream. When this happens, it can cause a person to develop sepsis. This could cause a person’s body going into a state of shock. Their blood pressure will drop as their blood flow weakens. It can result in a person losing limbs to eliminate the spread of sepsis. In extreme cases, sepsis can result in death.

Symptoms

The symptoms of mesh failure can begin shortly after hernia surgery or a few months later and longer. A person who has had hernia surgery should immediately seek medical attention if they experience a severe and sudden pain, vomiting and nausea as well as high fever, chills, infection, low blood pressure, organ perforation, diarrhea, bleeding or hemorrhaging or bruising and more.

Diagnosis And Treatment

Should someone who has had hernia repair surgery experience any of these symptoms, they should get immediate medical attention. They should tell the treating physician about their hernia repair surgery. The physician will then conduct a number of different tests. A person will be given a thorough physical exam and could be given a cystography test, blood work, ultrasound test, urine test, CT scan as well as stool testing and more. Should the testing confirm an organ perforation, the type of necessary treatment will then be determined. This could involve a blood transfusion to replace lost blood, surgery to remove the mesh and repair the hernia. Any type of leaked fluids such as feces or urine will be carefully removed from a person’s body. If blood vessels have been ruptured, a cauterization will be performed to seal them. Antibiotics will be administered to deal with any type of infection and more.

Outlook

The recovery period will depend on a number of different factors involved in a victim’s situation. This includes the size of the perforation as well as the amount of time prior to getting it treated. The chances of a full recovery increase significantly with the condition is diagnosed and treated early. There are other factors that could influence a person’s recovery including advanced age, smoking, drug or alcohol abuse as well as other medical conditions like liver or kidney problems, heart disease, being actively treated for cancer and more.

Symptoms of hernia mesh rejection

Hernia mesh complications symptoms  as well as hernia mesh failure symptoms are serious matters. Many victims seek information about the following question: what are the symptoms of hernia mesh rejection?

Anyone who has had hernia repair surgery and then had to be treated for an organ perforation or bowel perforation will have experienced something that should not have happened. All individuals have a right to expect to have surgery and to recover from it without the procedure causing them additional life-threatening complications. Victims of this have experience damage. They should speak with an attorney. Manufacturers of mesh products found to be defective have been forced to pay victims compensatory damages for organ perforation. An attorney will know how to protect a victim’s rights and get them fair compensation for all the damages they experienced.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27750295#