Have you ever turned on the tap connected to your garden hose only to receive an unpleasant surprise? Some of the water you were expecting to flow straight through to the nozzle is leaking from one or more pin hole punctures in the tubing.
Perhaps the sun’s rays weakened the material over many years causing it to deteriorate. Or maybe some kinks formed when you were packing it up over the winter that resulted in a rupture. Whatever the cause, unexpected leaks can lead to some significant water damage if left unattended. If you can imagine a similar puncture or tear in an organ like your bowel, you’ll likely be disturbed to think about what may be leaking out into your body cavity and the surrounding tissue.
In this blog post I discuss how defective hernia mesh can lead to significant post-surgery complications such as perforated organs [1] and legal options for victims of the misfortune.
Perforated Organs
The body has numerous hollow organs such as the heart, intestines, stomach and bladder. When one of these organ walls is penetrated, usually by accident or through a pathological condition, the organ may malfunction and/or cause damage to surrounding body tissue [2].
For example, a perforation in the gastrointestinal tract (GI) may cause its contents to enter the abdominal cavity [3] and result in peritonitis [4]. Left untreated, this infection can lead to sepsis (blood poisoning) that leads to severe disability or death [5].
Symptoms of perforated organs vary, but common signs of a perforated GI tract include: abdominal pain, blood in the stool, fever, chills, constipation, bloating, nausea, vomiting and, in advance stages of infection, confusion or delirium [6].
The Role of Defective Hernia Mesh
When it works properly, hernia mesh helps to reinforce weakened or torn tissue and keeps a previously herniated organ in its normal body cavity [7]. However, defective hernia mesh can migrate [8] through tissue [9], deteriorate [10] over time or contract [11]. As it moves positions or breaks down in the body the material can push through organ walls and become tangled in tissue, causing hernia strangulation [12][13].
Some fault mesh products included recoil rings designed to keep the product in a certain shape [14]. With these rings prone to failure, a break would often cause internal injuries such as organ perforations [15][16][17].
Hernia Mesh Lawsuit in Canada
Unlike a leaky garden hose that you can either quickly tape up or simply replace, serious injuries to your internal organs require immediate attention and treatment, including surgical repair [18].
If you or a loved one believes a defective mesh product caused you to experience a perforated organ, the manufacturer of the product may be liable and required to provide you with compensation for your pain and suffering.
For more information or to speak about a hernia mesh lawsuit in Canada, please contact hernia mesh lawyer Paul Miller at 416-646-3901 or by email at pmiller@hshlawyers.com.