Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) can definitely complicate living a healthy, carefree life. Both can be uncomfortable, embarrassing and cause constant worry over mishaps. POP happens when an organ in the pelvic region, such as the bladder or uterus, moves from its normal position in the lower belly and puts pressure on the walls of the vagina. SUI happens when you cough, sneeze, run or lift heavy objects and that pressure on your bladder causes urine to leak out. Transvaginal mesh (TVM) is a common surgery that helps to keeps these organs in place. However, there is an irreparable and devastating TVM side effect that you should know about.
TVM is a mesh-like material made of polypropylene that acts like a sling to hold the organs in place. Problems arise when this device shifts and punctures tissue and organs or erodes and causes infection. If the mesh migrates or breaks apart, it can cause:
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as just removing this device from the body. This is how San Francisco Bay Area Pelvic Surgeon/Urogynecologist Dr. Tom Margolis described the problems of vaginal mesh in a 2011 FDA hearing:
“What it’s like to remove mesh from the surgeon’s perspective can perhaps be appreciated by this analogy. [To remove] vaginal mesh is akin to taking a hammer and chisel and trying to remove the rebar from a sidewalk while leaving the cement otherwise intact - It is difficult if not impossible to remove all the mesh and do it safely.”
The worst part is that when TVM entered the market, it was never tested to be put into the vagina. It was approved to help with hernias, but was used “off label” when it was attached to a different part of the body. There were no studies performed to see what long term effects it could have so patients inadvertently became the testing ground. If TVM harms patients, then why did manufacturers put it on the market? First of all, it costs around $25 to make but the manufacturers can sell it for about $3,000. Secondly, the surgery takes only 30 minutes or less as opposed to traditional surgeries where doctors had to painstakingly sew tissue together (this is called "Burch" which involves opening the abdomen and stitching loose parts back together). Mesh allows more women to get surgeries and more women equals more money. Countless women have had their lives completely ruined - they have lost ability to ever have children, they are unable to have sex with their partner (the mesh can move inside the vagina and slice the penis during intercourse), they can’t have a job due to intense pain, and depression and suicidal thoughts have been reported by women have had to live with these hardships. TVM may seem like the answer you’ve been looking for, but it’s imperative to understand the risks before agreeing to have this surgery.
