Hernia Mesh Failure

Indications of hernia mesh failure include pain or tenderness around the surgery site. Additional symptoms include constipation, bulging or swelling, nausea and vomiting. Contact your doctor if you experience pain or swelling where you received the hernia repair.

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Last Modified: October 2, 2024
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Types of Hernia Mesh Failure

Hernia mesh failure happens when implanted mesh causes serious medical problems, including infection and chronic pain. Other known issues are torn or broken mesh or even migration when the mesh doesn’t stay where the doctor intended and moves away from the hernia site.

About 30% of abdominal hernia repairs in the U.S. fail annually out of 600,000 procedures, according to the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

Most Common Reasons for Hernia Mesh Failure
Breakage or Fracturing
The mesh breaks or tears, opening a hernia to recur.
Erosion
Parts of the mesh break down and spread to other organs, such as the intestines.
Infection
Tissues around the mesh can become infected, requiring hernia mesh removal.
Migration
The mesh moves from its location, potentially causing organ perforation, hernia recurrence, damage to other tissue and pain.
Rejection
The body rejects the mesh, aggravating the immune system and causing flu-like symptoms.
Shrinkage
The mesh shrinks, pulling tissues it’s attached to and causing chronic pain.

To solve serious hernia mesh issues, doctors must remove the mesh or repair damaged tissues.

“Following hernia mesh failure, the revision takes place absolutely anytime at all,” the late hernia surgeon Dr. Robert Bendavid told Drugwatch. “Provided that pain is not the issue, if it’s simply a recurrence, it’s a straightforward operation.”

In addition to mesh removal, hernia mesh infections will likely be treated with antibiotics. Different types and brands of mesh are often prone to specific failures.

Multiple follow-up studies, including one consisting of 1,720 participants released in 2022, found low rates of complications in inguinal hernia repair that used mesh. Five years after surgery, 3.9% of people reported severe or disabling problems, 3.2% reported pain and 3.1% reported limitations in movement.

What Causes Hernia Mesh Failure?

Hernia mesh can fail due to factors such as product design, surgical approach and patient’s overall health. Failure can cause hernia mesh complications, requiring the removal or repair of the failed mesh.

Studies suggest that 5% to 20% of hernia operations result in mesh failure. According to a study in the British Medical Journal, the rate could be between 12% and 30%.

Product Design and Hernia Mesh Failure

Some mesh products are more prone to failure than others due to design flaws. The properties of the material used to make the mesh, such as its porosity and thickness, can contribute to these flaws.

Product Design Issues
Allergens
Some manufacturers make hernia mesh with fish oil and other components that may trigger an allergic reaction.
Heavy Materials
Mesh made from heavy materials may be more likely to cause infection.
Mesh Size
If your hernia mesh isn’t large enough to cover your entire surgical site, it may slip out of place during the healing process.
Not Encouraging Ingrowth
Tissue ingrowth is vital for keeping the mesh in place. If the mesh’s design doesn’t promote tissue ingrowth around the surgical site, it may be more likely to migrate.
Small Pores
Mesh with small pores is also more likely to cause infection.

“[The] appropriate choice of mesh may minimize hernia recurrence,” hernia surgeon Dr. Mazen Al-Mansour of the University of Florida’s College of Medicine told Drugwatch. “Mesh should ideally be used to reinforce the suture closure of the hernia defect rather than patching the defect.”

When complications occur, they can be serious. One report in the Food and Drug Administration’s Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database detailed a mesh failure resulting in the mesh migrating inside the body of a woman implanted with Atrium’s fish-oil-coated C-QUR hernia mesh.

She reported to the FDA that she never fully recovered following surgery and experienced severe burning pain. During a follow-up, her surgeon found that the mesh was “floating freely/not attached,” according to the report.

Surgical Approach and Hernia Mesh Failure

Several studies have shown that the surgical approach can play a significant role in preventing hernia mesh failure.

In 2024, a study published in Current Problems in Surgery highlighted a 12% chronic pain rate with inguinal hernia mesh surgery, compared to 6% without mesh. This prompted caution in mesh use due to the long-term pain implications. The authors concluded that poor surgical technique may lead to failed implants.

The World Journal of Clinical Cases reported a 2022 case study of a rare mesh plug erosion into the small intestine. The authors emphasized the importance of early detection and proper sizing to prevent future erosions.

Another 2022 study from the Brazilian Archives of Digestive Surgery found comparable hernia recurrence rates with staple or glue fixation but higher postoperative pain with staples.

Signs & Symptoms of Hernia Mesh Failure

If you suspect hernia mesh failure, be aware of these common signs and symptoms. Contact your doctor immediately if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms.

Hernia Mesh Failure Symptoms
  • Bloating
  • Bulging
  • Constipation
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Impotence or sexual dysfunction
  • Nausea
  • Pain
  • Swelling
  • Tenderness
  • Vomiting

Some symptoms may indicate that a bowel obstruction has developed because of scar tissue from the implanted hernia mesh. A complete obstruction is a medical emergency.

Late Dr. Robert Bendavid details the characteristics of hernia mesh failure.

Chronic pain that lasts for over three months after hernia surgery may indicate hernia mesh failure. Inform your doctor about any hernia mesh pain you experience after surgery.

Who May Be at Higher Risk for Hernia Mesh Failure?

Some health conditions and medications may increase your risk of hernia mesh failure.

Mesh Failure Risk Factors
  • Anemia
  • Certain autoimmune diseases (such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Chemotherapy
  • Chronic lung disease
  • Impaired blood clotting (coagulopathy)
  • Jaundice
  • Male sex assigned at birth
  • Malnutrition
  • Obesity
  • Radiotherapy
  • Smoking
  • Steroids
  • Type 2 diabetes

A 2024 study published in the journal Cureus found that 17.2% of 274 hernia repair surgery patients experienced complications, with obesity and diabetes being significant risk factors.

Comorbidities, especially Type 2 diabetes, were associated with a higher likelihood of complications. To reduce the risk of hernia mesh failure, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine, as well as not smoking, can be beneficial.

Hernia Mesh Failure Lawsuits

Hernia mesh lawsuits claimed patients developed serious or painful complications after surgery. Some hernia mesh products faced recall due to higher-than-average failure rates.

Hernia mesh manufacturers who have issued recalls or market withdrawals include Ethicon, Atrium and Bard Davol. Certain mesh brands named in lawsuits, such as Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh, have had higher rates of hernia recurrence. Ethicon pulled it from the market in 2016.

Manufacturers and Products in Lawsuits Included:
ManufacturerProduct
Atrium Medical C-QUR Mesh and V-Patch
C.R. Bard, Davol (Bard Davol) 3DMax Mesh, Composix Kugel, Composix LP, Composix EX, PerFix Plug, Supramesh, Ventralex, Ventralex ST
Covidien/Medtronic Parietex Composite Parastomal Mesh, Parietex ProGrip
Ethicon/Johnson & Johnson Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh, Proceed Surgical Mesh, Proceed Ventral Patch, Prolene 3D Polypropylene Patch, Prolene Hernia System

People who had these brands implanted during surgery and experienced serious problems afterward filed lawsuits against the manufacturer after the mesh failed. As of December 2024, there were 26,246 hernia mesh lawsuits pending. Settlement talks are ongoing, but no global settlements have been announced.

What Should I Do if My Mesh Failed?

If you have experienced hernia mesh failure, it may be necessary to undergo surgery to remove the mesh, repair the hernia, and manage any ensuing complications.

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience a high or prolonged fever, severe vomiting, complete bowel blockage or any other signs of serious surgical complications.

If your doctor determines your mesh failed, document all treatment and preserve the failed mesh if you get it removed. You may need the mesh for evidence in a future legal claim.

Please seek the advice of a medical professional before making health care decisions.