Aug 28, 2018 in News --> Hernia Mesh

Complications From Hernia Mesh Surgery Can Cause Life-changing Pain

Hernia mesh surgeries offer several key benefits over traditional hernia repairs. Most notably, they are less invasive and significantly reduce recovery time. However, as any hernia mesh lawyer can tell you, complications from these procedures can cause serious injuries that result in chronic pain and reduced quality of life.

Last month, CTV News spoke with Kanata, Ontario resident Francine Wright about the severe, persistent pain that has dominated her life for roughly four years.

“It feels like a wound hasn't healed and like a searing pain inside, like I am being ripped open on the inside. A lot of days I'm in bed … I can't function at all,” she said

Wright began experiencing pain about six months after a 2014 procedure to repair an abdominal hernia with plastic surgical mesh. She said her condition has since deteriorated and that painkillers offer little reprieve.

“It has affected me in every possible way: socially, with my kids, my husband," Wright continued. "I can't plan things ahead of time because I never know what kind of shape I'm going to be in, what kind of pain I'm going to be in."

CTV News spoke with another Ottawa-area woman, Debbie Van Dyk, who reported similar symptoms, saying: "I deal with pain daily. As soon as I get up in the morning, I deal with pain. I can't do anything."

Van Dyk also said she sometimes finds small pieces of plastic mesh poking through her skin.

Horrific symptoms like those experienced by Wright and Van Dyk are familiar to any experienced hernia mesh lawyer. Each year, tens of thousands of people experience hernias in Canada, and hernia mesh has become a preferred treatment. Doctors approve of the faster recovery times and reduced recurrence; they also insist that complications affect only a small percentage of hernia mesh patients.

Unfortunately, there is little doctors can do for patients that do experience complications. Surgery to remove the mesh is often risky, and removal doesn't guarantee that the symptoms will disappear. When painkillers don't work, patients are essentially forced to live with the pain, a scenario that can take a monumental mental toll – both Wright and Van Dyk told CTV that they had considered suicide.

Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers is currently accepting inquiries regarding injuries resulting from hernia mesh surgery. If you or a loved one has incurred damages as a result of the use of hernia mesh, contact Neinstein medical malpractice lawyers today to learn how an experienced hernia mesh lawyer can help.

Image credit: Doctoroftcm/Wikimedia Commons