Many women who suffer from pelvic organ prolapse or urinary incontinence were told that treatment with the mesh sling (also called transvaginal mesh) would be a fix for their problems. Unfortunately, the FDA has stated that the mesh sling is a high risk device because it can erode within the body and cause pain, infection, bleeding, organ perforation and urinary problems. Many women have come to find out that the problems caused by mesh slings are much worse than the original conditions they were intended to treat.
Damage from Mesh Slings
The most damaging problems caused by mesh slings include erosion and organ perforation. The device can erode the vaginal lining, causing infections and abscesses as well as nerve damage. The excruciating pain from these complications can lead to the inability to sit, need for a urinary catheter in order to urinate, recurrent urinary tract infections and the complete inability to maintain sexual relationships.
Symptoms of damage from mesh slings include:
- Severe pain in the pelvis, groin or genitals
- Pain with urination
- Nerve pain
- Feeling of something protruding from the vagina
- Visualizing something protruding from the vagina
- Fistulas or tracts between the vagina and rectum
- Scarring in the vagina
- Recurrent UTIs
- Bloody stool or urine
- Painful sex
- Inability to empty the bladder
- Unusual vaginal discharge
Treating Mesh Sling Complications
Treating the complications of a mesh sling will begin with removal of the device and be completed with a plan customized for your symptoms. Women seeking treatment for complications from mesh slings often have a variety of obstacles to overcome, including social, financial and emotional. Many women feel that they were not properly informed or taken advantage of by their surgeon. Because of these obstacles, it is important that women seeking repair for complications of mesh slings are able to find a surgical team that they trust. Compassionate, empathetic, evidence-based care is the cornerstone of recovering from mesh sling injury.