lawsuit filed Gynecare TVT bladder suspension tape (Prolene mesh)

[Eileen]

Does anyone have a good story about the mesh sling tape? I am sick of leaking when I laugh and sneeze and cough and can't hold it when I really need to go to the bathroom bad.

[Debbie]

No, I haven't heard any. The best story came from my cousin. Although she didn't have any trouble from it...she just started leaking again after the first year or two. She's had the surgery twice. You can try physical therapy with a probe and kegel exercises which has better results than surgery. Good luck!

[scrabbler]

has anybody heard from lana latley .i havnt seen her on the site for along time . i wonder if she is feeling ok

[amanaxis]

I am so sorry to hear all these horror stories. I work for a urogynecologist. For those of you who don't know what that is, he is a specialist that only deals with incontinence and prolapse. I have seen many people come in from other gynecologist or urologist with problems from their surgeires. What my doctor says is that the mesh is not placed correctly, either it is too shallow and gets into the vagina or it is not placed correctly by the doctor doing the surgery. I think those of you who can should find a urgoyncologist who is fellowship trained, VERY important, and have a consultation with them. They are specialized in this area. As for any surgeon, they should ALWAYS tell you about the risk, benefits, and outcomes of the procedure prior to surgery. My doctor counsels his patients to a point of no return but they all understand what they are getting into and he NEVER tells them what they should or shouldn't do...it is their body after all. I wish all of you the best of luck.

[happyhelper]

Eileen wrote:

Does anyone have a good story about the mesh sling tape? I am sick of leaking when I laugh and sneeze and cough and can't hold it when I really need to go to the bathroom bad.

There is a urogynecologist located in Plymouth and Minneapolis at Female Pelvic Medicine who only deals with incontinence and prolapse. I would give him a try

[happyhelper]

Debbie wrote:

No, I haven't heard any. The best story came from my cousin. Although she didn't have any trouble from it...she just started leaking again after the first year or two. She's had the surgery twice. You can try physical therapy with a probe and kegel exercises which has better results than surgery. Good luck!

That is a good suggestion with the physical therapy and all, but some people who have strong pelvic muscles may have weak and/or damaged sphincter muscle and the therapy will not help.

[Lisa Havard]

I had the TVT procedure done in Nov 0f 2007. I've had problems ever since. My problems over the last couple days have gotton severe. I think that I have a small puncture in my bladder. I have a appointment on Wed to see the urogyno. I have been having a lot of blood and a lot of discharge as well. I am sooooo scared. I am only 36 years old and suffered from Pelvic Organ Prolapse; therefore, this was one of the necessary procedures in order to put me back together. I am very fustrated and scared as well. How did Lana make out with her law suit?

[Lyndsey]

Lisa Havard wrote:

I had the TVT procedure done in Nov 0f 2007. I've had problems ever since. My problems over the last couple days have gotton severe. I think that I have a small puncture in my bladder. I have a appointment on Wed to see the urogyno. I have been having a lot of blood and a lot of discharge as well. I am sooooo scared. I am only 36 years old and suffered from Pelvic Organ Prolapse; therefore, this was one of the necessary procedures in order to put me back together. I am very fustrated and scared as well. How did Lana make out with her law suit?

Dear Lisa,
You are going to be alright. I am so sorry that you have to go through this situation. I am only 42 and I began having problems almost immediately after my prolapse surgery. This past summer I had mesh removal surgery. It relieved a tremendous amount of pain. The Key is that you need to find the right health care team. Please remember that they work for you! I live in the south and went to Minnesota for surgery. I am not perfect. I am still having issues, but I think that I can be better. I get scared and frustrated, too. I have two young boys and a wonderful husband, who have been waiting for me to be all better. My faith in God sustains me. The women, people like Lana, saved me from thinking I was completely alone and losing it. "You can do all things through Him"! Being sick with something that you can hardley talk about and that people don't know about is not easy. Just know that you are not alone. Please make sure that you register for [e-mail] anhttp://truthinmedicine.us.co m/homepage.htmd
they are a great source of information and support. Let us know about your progress.

[wisemom]

well said Lindsey. It is hard to talk about it with anyone...such an embarrassing situation. Who did your surgery? I have been told by two Dr's that mine needs to come out but I just started a new job
and am afraid of losing it if I take off for surgery. Right now I have some good days with minimal pain and some days and nights that I couldn't hardly stand it. I am 45 and just wonder what life will be like in 10 years. Support helps you not to lose your mind and prayer gives you peace and comfort for your mind and soul. I wish you all the best...

[Lyndsey]

wisemom wrote:

well said Lindsey. It is hard to talk about it with anyone...such an embarrassing situation. Who did your surgery? I have been told by two Dr's that mine needs to come out but I just started a new job
and am afraid of losing it if I take off for surgery. Right now I have some good days with minimal pain and some days and nights that I couldn't hardly stand it. I am 45 and just wonder what life will be like in 10 years. Support helps you not to lose your mind and prayer gives you peace and comfort for your mind and soul. I wish you all the best...

Wisemom - Dr. Emmanuel Trabuco of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota performed my surgery. They removed posterior and anterior mesh from a "pro-lift" kit. It was actually a big deal and 4 months out I am still healing. I still have the TVT-O bladder sling and it is still causing me pain. They really didn't want to remove it. I think that they were confident they could revise it and that it wasn't the main cause of my pain. They also told me that there would be a very high chance I would be incontinent if they removed it.

What are your doctors recommending you remove, and why? If you don't work for a small company you are entitled to your FMLA, but it is still a risk. However, this is your life we are talking about. I felt so much better after the surgery and it did make certain things, such as having a normal relationship with my husband, possible again. Unfortunately, I believe that I have nerve pain. The Doctors have been reassuring that it is from the trauma and that it will get better. Like you, I have good days and those where I just want to scream. Thanks for your support and I pray that you will have comfort and healing.

[julie]

oxford, fl.
11/4/09 i had a mesh insert to stregthen the vagina wall
and i had a sling inserted, todate i am recovering fine.
i had bladder infections for over 5 yrs. that was bad.
i hope my procedure will be one of the successes.

[Becky]

Does anyone have any information about the collagen injections for the leakage? Does it work is it safe?

[Annie]

I am 7 days post-op from having a TVT sling procedure, a rectocyle and cystocyle repair, and a cervical prolapse repair. I was in the hospital for 3 days and that was because it took and extra day before I could have the catheter removed since I could not empty my bladder completely. When the urine I voided on the second check was measured, I had a catheter placed in and I still had over half the amount that I had voided, still in my bladder. I last night, I had to go to the ER because I was running a low grade temperature, having terrible pain in my bladder before and after voiding, and pain in my vaginal and rectal wall. I also began bleeding from my vagina after having a bowel movement, and I have been taking stool softeners for several days and so I am not constipated. After my labs came back, I now have a UTI and when the doctor did a pelvic exam he told me that he could see that I was bleeding around the suture area up inside. I want to remain optomistic that this will all turn out okay. I was just wondering if anyone had this same experience right after the surgery. It seems what I have been reading has happened to others months later. Is there anything I shold be asking the doctor to do for treatment? is there anything i should be watching for that might be a sign that my body is rejecting the mesh material?

[Lyndsey]

Annie wrote:

I am 7 days post-op from having a TVT sling procedure, a rectocyle and cystocyle repair, and a cervical prolapse repair. I was in the hospital for 3 days and that was because it took and extra day before I could have the catheter removed since I could not empty my bladder completely. When the urine I voided on the second check was measured, I had a catheter placed in and I still had over half the amount that I had voided, still in my bladder. I last night, I had to go to the ER because I was running a low grade temperature, having terrible pain in my bladder before and after voiding, and pain in my vaginal and rectal wall. I also began bleeding from my vagina after having a bowel movement, and I have been taking stool softeners for several days and so I am not constipated. After my labs came back, I now have a UTI and when the doctor did a pelvic exam he told me that he could see that I was bleeding around the suture area up inside. I want to remain optomistic that this will all turn out okay. I was just wondering if anyone had this same experience right after the surgery. It seems what I have been reading has happened to others months later. Is there anything I shold be asking the doctor to do for treatment? is there anything i should be watching for that might be a sign that my body is rejecting the mesh material?

Annie - I am so sorry. I am not a Dr. but you need to heal. Pain is to be expected. You just had major surgery. I am 4 months plus out of surgery and at 3 months out was still having vaginal bleeding that was caused by a small ulcer-like lesion that had to be cauterized. As bad as that sounds, it was not. I had pain before and after voiding and I have voiding difficulty. You need to discover cranberry tablets and try different things like leaning forward, standing up or sitting up very straight. Don't force it! Also, "urostat" or AZO standard can be used intermittently to help urinary pain. If you are only 7 days out you have swelling and are probably taking narcotics which will also inhibit your ability to void completely.
I hope that you are in bed resting. Do not lift. Take lots of stool softners. Surgery is traumatic to a body.
If you continue to have bleeding and infections and your Dr. refuses to consider that it may be a result of the surgery he/she performed then you need to find a new Dr. if it requires a long drive to a different town. You are going to be OK. It might take some time and some fight, but you are going to be OK.

[Lana Keeton]

Annie wrote:

I am 7 days post-op from having a TVT sling procedure, a rectocyle and cystocyle repair, and a cervical prolapse repair. I was in the hospital for 3 days and that was because it took and extra day before I could have the catheter removed since I could not empty my bladder completely. When the urine I voided on the second check was measured, I had a catheter placed in and I still had over half the amount that I had voided, still in my bladder. I last night, I had to go to the ER because I was running a low grade temperature, having terrible pain in my bladder before and after voiding, and pain in my vaginal and rectal wall. I also began bleeding from my vagina after having a bowel movement, and I have been taking stool softeners for several days and so I am not constipated. After my labs came back, I now have a UTI and when the doctor did a pelvic exam he told me that he could see that I was bleeding around the suture area up inside. I want to remain optomistic that this will all turn out okay. I was just wondering if anyone had this same experience right after the surgery. It seems what I have been reading has happened to others months later. Is there anything I shold be asking the doctor to do for treatment? is there anything i should be watching for that might be a sign that my body is rejecting the mesh material?

Dear Annie, The complications you describe are serious. Your body is not happy, obviously. Pain in your bladder before and after voiding are definite signs there is a problem with the mesh. If you are only 7 days post op and already been to the ER, you are not healing properly. Pain, bleeding and temperature are signs of infection. Do not wait. See another doctor. Please call me at seven eight six five six six seven seven eight zero. You need help. Again, please don't wait. blessings, Lana

email address: www. truthinmedicine@ bellsouth. net
webiste: www. truthinmedicine. us. com

[Lana Keeton]

amanaxis wrote:

I am so sorry to hear all these horror stories. I work for a urogynecologist. For those of you who don't know what that is, he is a specialist that only deals with incontinence and prolapse. I have seen many people come in from other gynecologist or urologist with problems from their surgeires. What my doctor says is that the mesh is not placed correctly, either it is too shallow and gets into the vagina or it is not placed correctly by the doctor doing the surgery. I think those of you who can should find a urgoyncologist who is fellowship trained, VERY important, and have a consultation with them. They are specialized in this area. As for any surgeon, they should ALWAYS tell you about the risk, benefits, and outcomes of the procedure prior to surgery. My doctor counsels his patients to a point of no return but they all understand what they are getting into and he NEVER tells them what they should or shouldn't do...it is their body after all. I wish all of you the best of luck.

Dear Amanaxis, With all due respect, all the counseling in the world will not prevent bad outcomes from mesh. The best surgeon in the world is not capapble of preventing serious complications of synthetic surgical mesh, including death. If you had mesh implanted in you, you would be able to understand the lifelong irreversible complications. You would NEVER recommend mesh to anyone for any reason. Synthetic Surgical Mesh is a FOREIGN BODY. The mechanism that holds it in place is a foreign body inflammatory reaction...native tissue scars into the interstices of the mesh. Please, please do not recommend mesh to anyone for any reason. Hundreds of people contact me looking for medical treatment because the medical profession is not helping them. I feel your intentions are the best, but blaming other doctors for their surgical technique is not the root of the problem. MESH IS A BAD PRODUCT! BAD DOCTORS MAKE A BAD PRODUCT WORSE. DOCTORS SHOULD NOT USE MESH! blessings, Lana

[Mari]

Halleluja to your response Lana !!!!

YOU ARE 101 % CORRECT !!!!

The mesh is a MONSTER eating us up from inside.
Listen to people who has been through it...we cant all be wrong. Lana knows the best as she has studied this and she is fighting on behalf of all of us carrying the monster inside of us for the rest of our lives.

I though I was "fixed" up after my op in August 09 but a couple of weeks ago it all started again..I am soooo scared of what the future holds for me, so
scared that I dont even want to go back to the doctor....I guess I dont want to know !!!

[problem]

I was suppose to have the TVT procedure done and woke up thinking that it was a success. Once I became more awake I realized that I had a catheter in and was wondering why. There was a complication with your surgery. The doctor lacerated my urethra in two places and created a false passage for my urethra?? I was devastated. Not the outcome that I expected. I was never told of these complications. Please think twice before making this decision. The week post op was aweful.

[Annie]

I saw my surgeon the next day after the visit to the ER. I told him about my symptoms and about the ER trip. He told me to take the antibiotics I was prescribed and we talked about the pain I was having. He told me that having pain is to be expected as he did a lot of work, and he asked what I had expected. I told him I thought at 7 days post-op I had expected minimal pain, just some muscle soreness and maybe some pulling where the mesh was attached. I told him about feeling like I needed to urinate every hour and having some leaking, plus the nurse being able cath me and I still had urine in my bladder after just voiding twice. I told him about the bleeding and that my bladder hurt before and after voiding the other vaginal pain. He did an exam, he said eerything looked like it was healing well, that the bleeding is fromn the sutured area. He said the sometimes with overexertion that there will be bleeding, that I need to take it easy. He also said that sometimes because the sutures are so deep in this procedure, that there is a build up of blood behind the sutured area and it will seep out through the suture site. He also asked about CBC labs to make sure I wasn't anemic from too much blood loss. He told me that there have been reports that the mesh used in this procedure can cause irritation and other problems with the bladder. He said that it can become serious and he will be monitering this. He wants me back in to see him in 1 week to check everything again. If the bladder symptoms get worse, I am to call him immediately. The antibiotics should take care of the infection and the symtoms that I am having which are typical UTI symptoms should be resolving themselves in a day or so. If it gets worse, I will be back in his office. He renewed my pain medications and told me to take it easy. I feel like he is being honest and upfront with me and that he really does care. He is the only doc in this area that has been trained and is certified to do this procedure, and so I would have to do some traveling to find a second opinion some place. And so I will take the medications, take it easy and let him know if it is getting worse.

[Caroline]

I had my 1st tvt repair on 7 July. All went well, so I waited the usual 6 weeks to have intercourse, but sadly my hubby could feel the mesh and it hurt me a lot when he touched the mesh. I also hardly went to the loo and started to retain water. My eyes would swell etc. My gynae said to wait 3 months and he would losen the tape. It has now been 7 weeks since I have had the tape losened and I have had constant burns, pricky type, digging type sensations around my urethra and my vagina and perinium feels like it is being constantly stretched and then gripped in a vice. I have had every type of pessary and cream stuck up my vagina, and have in the last 7 weeks swollowed more pills than I have in my entire life. I am 49 years old. Now the left cheek of my bottom is painful. What next. I would never have had the tvt repair if my gynae had of informed me that I would may have to have the mesh removed in 5 years or so. I only leaked when I coughed or sneezed anyway, but my gynae said it would be better that I have it done now than to have it done years later. I still leak when I cough or sneeze, but my gynae says it will settle. How long is the settling period, I wonder. I am now using premarin cream to strengthen the perinium area. I have not been able to have intercourse with my hubby for 7 weeks now as my vagina is constantly burning and my gynae cannot find the cause of it. Does anyone think that my problems will get better if I have the mesh removed and also, I wonder how much more I would leak. How does one decide what to do. Once a choice is made and the op is done, there is no turning back.