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Pelvic organ prolapse is a condition that results from weakened muscles that are often referred to as the pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic organ prolapse has multiple causes which include pregnancy, obesity, heredity and age. The result of the failure of pelvic floor muscles to support the surrounding organs caused the organs to fall or drop— causing discomfort, pain, incontinence and sexual dysfunction. While there are many treatment options available for pelvic organ prolapse, transvaginal mesh implants rose greatly in popularity over the last ten years due to the promise of manufacturers that they required minimally invasive operations to implant and were more effective than traditional treatment.
What Does Pelvic Organ Prolapse Affect?
All women suffer from some form of pelvic organ prolapse to some degree in their lifetimes and treatment only becomes necessary when the prolapse begins to affect the patient’s quality of life. A prolapse is very similar to a hernia, in which organs and tissues are pushed out of place and cause pain and discomfort as a result. The organs most often affected by pelvic organ prolapse include the following.
- Vagina
- Cervix
- Uterus
- Urethra
- Bladder
- Rectum
One of the most common conditions that results from pelvic organ prolapse is stress urinary incontinence, in which accidents occur involving the inability of the pelvic floor muscles to prevent urine from leaking. While stress urinary incontinence is the most embarrassing symptom of pelvic organ prolapse, other symptoms that affect quality of life include pain during sex and bulges in the pelvic area that are the result of the prolapse.
When Surgery is required
It is advised that surgery be considered only when the condition significantly impacts the patient’s quality of life and if other forms of treatment have failed. Nonsurgical means of treating pelvic organ prolapse exist and may be attempted before resorting to surgery. Transvaginal mesh is implanted in some procedures to support the muscles and surrounding organs but new studies are questioning whether the transvaginal mesh is a more effective means of accomplishing this than traditional operations that involve the use of sutures, stitches and removal of the uterus.
In addition to questions about the efficacy of transvaginal mesh implants; there are concerns about the risk of additional complications that have caused injury to many of the women who were implanted with the devices. These risks were not communicated to patients ahead of time and are the basis of litigation involving multiple manufacturers of the devices and thousands of women who were injured by them. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have extensive experience in medical product liability and are fighting for the rights of the many women who have been harmed by defective mesh products.
If you were injured by an implant designed to treat pelvic organ prolapse, contact us today so that we can review your case. Our consultations are free and we will never ask for payment unless we are able to settle or win your case.
