Vaginal Mesh Surgery to be Banned

Guidance from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will include recommendations that vaginal mesh operations should be banned.

In the guidelines, due to be published after a consultation in December, NICE state that the procedure poses a “serious but well-recognised safety concern”.

Mesh implants are used to support organs such as the vagina, uterus, bowel, bladder or urethra which have prolapsed, most commonly after childbirth.  When complications arise, they can be serious and life-changing.

NHS data revealed that between April 2007 and March 2015, more than 92,000 women had vaginal implants in England, with 1 in 11 reporting problems. These included the implants cutting into the vagina resulting in permanent pain, an inability to walk, work and/or engage in sexual activity. 

Whilst not compelled to do so, it is anticipated that the NHS will take up the recommendations from NICE and follow the likes of Scotland, who have already suspended the use of mesh implants to treat both organ prolapse and urinary incontinence, due to such known complications. 

Pinney Talfourd and impacted clients welcome the recommendations from NICE and await the decision of the NHS.  

MORE INFORMATION 

If you or someone you know has been affected by the use of mesh implants and you’d like to understand more about your legal rights, please contact our Medical Negligence Department – our team of expert solicitors will be able to assist and can offer free initial advice. Call on 01708 229444 or email us using our contact form.This article was written by Kim Huggins, Medical Negligence Solicitors at Pinney Talfourd LLP Solicitors. The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. Specific legal advice should be taken on each individual matter. This article is based on the law as of November 2017.