July 14, 2011
Surgeons Warned Against Using Surgical Mesh in Pelvic Surgeries
On July 13, 2011, the FDA issued a new advisory warning about plastic surgical mesh used during transvaginal surgeries to correct common gynecological problems including pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. U.S. physicians perform about 75,000 surgeries on women each year due to the effects of childbirth and menopause. From 2008 to 2010, the FDA received more than 1,500 Adverse Event Reports related to complications associated the plastic mesh. Recent studies indicate that about 10 percent of women who have the mesh placed transvaginally experience mesh erosion within 12 months of surgery and that more than half require additional surgeries to remove the mesh.
