Johnson & Johnson is the eighth largest pharmaceutical company and the world’s largest seller of health care products. While remaining wildly successful, the company has been associated with numerous scandals over the years, including the recall of 31 million bottles of Tylenol in 1982.

Ethicon is the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson responsible for wound-closing products, including sutures, staplers, ligatures, and transvaginal mesh. They are currently facing nearly 4,000 federal lawsuits and countless suits in state courts concerning its mesh products.

Transvaginal Mesh Devices

Transvaginal mesh is a synthetic or biologic material permanently implanted in women to repair pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or to support the urethra as a treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), conditions which arise when the vaginal wall and other supporting muscles have been weakened. This weakening often occurs as a consequence of pregnancy and childbirth, and may also arise from other factors, including aging.

In some cases, the treatment works as planned and women experience dramatically improved quality of life through a relatively mild surgery. However, in many cases, the mesh shrinks once inside the vagina, causing vaginal shortening, tightening, and intense pain. Another more serious possibility is that part of the mesh material does not get absorbed into the tissue as intended and instead remains free inside the pelvic area. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that transvaginal mesh may cause complications such as the erosion of the product into surrounding areas of the pelvis and perforation of pelvic organs.

Recall

Ethicon stopped selling four Gynecare mesh products in 2012. However, they did not recall the products already sold or implanted. In fact, they continue to sell Gynecare Gynemesh, but restrict it’s use to abdominal implantation.

Lawsuits

In early 2013, Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a New Jersey jury to pay $11.11 million to a victim of their mesh products. The jury found that Johnson & Johnson failed to warn the patients doctor of potential complications from the mesh.

Currently, Ethicon is included with other manufacturers in multidistrict litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

We Can Help

If you or a loved one had transvaginal mesh implantation and developed complications, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Recovery may include compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and loss of spousal consortium. Avram Blair & Associates P.C. is headquartered in Houston, Texas but handles transvaginal mesh cases nationwide. To find out if you have a claim, please call Avram Blair & Associates P.C. at 919-729-5152?? or contact us online for your free consultation.