Ethicon Physiomesh Hernia Rupture lawsuit

As injury lawsuits begin to mount against Johnson and Johnson (J&J) and its subsidiary Ethicon over its Physiomesh plastic device, a popular line of hernia mesh used in surgical repair, comes news of the mesh failing dramatically causing the intestines to rupture through.

Georgia Ethicon Physiomesh Rupture Lawsuit

Connie Franklin, from Georgia filed her product liability lawsuit recently in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.

According to Franklin, J&J and Ethicon made and sold a defectively designed and unreasonably dangerous hernia repair device.

Franklin claims that Ethicon Physiomesh was implanted in her to repair an incisional hernia. Franklin had to undergo surgery in 2016 for hernia recurrence after she developed pain, nausea and vomiting.

Her surgeons found that the Ethicon hernia mesh had failed dramatically; there was a rupture of the hernia mesh which allowed her intestines to poke through the mesh causing severe injuries.

Ethicon Physiomesh Injury, Infection Lawsuits on the rise

Sarah Gilman, from Florida recently filed a personal injury and defective product liability complaint against J&J and Ethicon. Gilman alleges severe complications after Physiomesh hernia surgery resulted in the plastic mesh engulfing her internal organs and had to be removed.

Gilman filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, claiming that the Ethicon Physiomesh was defectively designed and unreasonably dangerous for hernia repair.

Gilman received Physiomesh Composite mesh in 2016, via a laparoscopic procedure to fix a ventral abdominal hernia. Within several months she developed serious complications including the recurrence of the hernia and debilitating pain from mesh adhesions to other vital organs.

Florida Ethicon Physiomesh lawsuit claims injury

According to Gilman, “Defendants’ Physiomesh was defectively designed and/or manufactured, was not reasonably safe for its intended use in hernia repair, and the risks of the design outweighed any potential benefits associated with the design.”

What is Ethicon Physiomesh?

Ethicon uses plastic or polypropylene to make the base layer of the Physiomesh. The Physiomesh is used for laparoscopic ventral (abdominal) and inguinal (groin) hernia repair.

Physiomesh has been on the market in the United States since 2010. The FDA approved it with a 510(k) application, which allowed it on the market without new safety studies because it was “similar” to other types of hernia mesh on the market.

Polypropylene is the same material that Ethicon used to make their transvaginal mesh and bladder slings. Ethicon is exposed to thousands of lawsuits over its polypropylene transvaginal mesh and bladder slings. Ethicon added an absorbable film coating to each side of the polypropylene to create the Physiomesh.

Ethicon Physiomesh Device Voluntary Withdrawal

An Ethicon Physiomesh recall was issued by the manufacturer in several countries in 2016, due to a higher-than-expected rate of complications resulting in recurrent hernia and revision surgery.

Ethicon Inc., stopped selling all Physiomesh Flexible Composite Hernia Mesh worldwide after a large study found a possible safety risk for patients. Ethicon recalled Physiomesh in Europe and Australia, but the same action was called a “market withdrawal” in the U.S.

According to an Urgent Field Safety Notice to surgeons in May 2016, Ethicon recalled Physiomesh after analyzing unpublished data from two large independent hernia registries in Germany and Denmark. The studies showed Physiomesh had higher rates of hernia recurrence and needing another surgery compared to similar types of hernia mesh for laparoscopic ventral hernia repairs.

Our law firm continues to investigate Ethicon Physiomesh personal injury claims from across the country. If you or a loved have been injured by Ethicon Physiomesh, including perforation, pain, infections and re-do surgery, please contact our office immediately for your free consultation.