Hernias have been repaired with mesh for decades but, in recent years, defective design and poor choice of materials caused the number of failures to increase exponentially.
Defective or low-quality devices are prone to erosion, breakage, detachment, and migration which may cause even serious organ damage. A mesh could cause a foreign body reaction as the material is rejected by your body or can shrink an contract causing intense pain.
Complications are on the rise, and an infected hernia mesh may have devastating consequences which cannot be cured with just antibiotics.
To minimize the risk of having to undergo revision surgery, it is important to keep an eye out for any potential symptom of mesh failure and warn your doctor as soon as possible.
Be aware that these symptoms may appear even weeks, months or years after the device has been implanted, especially if sutures were used.
Here are some symptoms of hernia mesh failure you should never underestimate:
- Nausea and/or Vomiting
- The area where the incision is located is hot, reddened, sore or inflamed
- A lump or bulging has formed in the same area or close to where you had the original hernia
- Flu-like symptoms such as chills and fever
- Intense abdominal pain
- The surgical wound does not heal properly
- Constant, unexplained pain in the area around the wound
- Weak, infected or chipped teeth
- Bloating and inability to pass stool
- Chronic fatigue that affects your daily activities
If the mesh has eroded or migrated, pain can be the first symptom coming from nerve or organ damage. When an infection occurs, you may experience flu-like symptoms as your body fights the infection.
A severe inflammatory response may also be a reaction to low-quality materials, and may lead to the formation of scar tissue.
Eventually, these tissues may cause organ adhesions or bowel obstruction, leading to abdominal tenderness, bloating and groin pain.
