Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Usually occurring during menopause, women at this stage are at a high risk of suffering a pelvic health disorder described as Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP). This disorder is characterized by the descent of a pelvic organ from its usual position towards the lower pelvic area where it presses against the vaginal wall. This condition comes about when the muscles of the pelvic floor lose strength or become weakened, mostly due to vaginal delivery and surgical operations, making it unable to support the different pelvic organs.
Indications of POP
When the following symptoms are experienced by a woman, she may have developed POP:
With the bulge created in the vagina, pressure may be sensed by the patient
Feeling very full in the lower belly
An awkward feeling as if something is falling out of the vagina
The back portion of the body or the area around the groin may experience extreme soreness
Especially when the bladder is affected, there may be urinary incontinence
Dyspareunia or painful intercourse may be very common
And having problems with bowels such as constipation
POP Treatment Options
Options in the treatment of POP include surgical interventions. Surgical operations for POP have been performed on countless patients. Medical procedures using transvaginal mesh have become one of the most favored methods for treating this pelvic floor disorder.
When the pelvic floor muscles and tissues lose their strength, a device which is called surgical mesh or pelvic mesh is used to give the proper support. While the usual materials are the non-absorbable synthetic type, surgical mesh may also be sourced from animals. Transvaginal mesh is not only limited to POP repairs but also includes the repair of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Similar to POP treatments, pelvic mesh devices for SUI repairs also provide support to the urethra or bladder neck.
A sling procedure on the other hand is also a common surgery to treat SUI. It uses strips of the body's tissue or a synthetic material such as mesh to create a pelvic sling or hammock around the bladder neck and the urethra that carries urine from the bladder. The sling provides support to keep the urethra intact when coughing or sneezing.
Complications of POP Repairs
However adverse reports were forwarded to the Food and Drug Administration from 2008 to 2010 pertaining to surgical mesh devices where mesh tends to erode through the vagina. Other complications include pain, infection, bleeding, and pain during intercourse, organ perforation and urinary problems. It has been found that many of these complications require medical or surgical treatment and hospitalization.
The serious injuries sustained by these women have compelled the FDA to release a public health notification informing of the dangers believed to be caused by vaginal mesh devices. Adverse reports concerning the dangers of using mesh implants continue to be submitted to the FDA. Women who were implanted with these devices and who have suffered serious injuries have filed mesh implant lawsuits against different mesh manufacturers.
Lawsuit Updates
Pending mesh implant claims in various state and federal courts have been estimated to overshoot the 50,000 mark, with the most number in West Virginia centralized into six multidistrict litigations (MDL). With a few mesh lawsuits already resolved in court, trials for the other defendants have been scheduled for 2014.
Sources:
webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/tc/pelvic-organ-prolapse-topic-overview
fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/UroGynSurgicalMesh/ucm262299.htm
huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/08/pelvic-mesh-lawsuits-surgical_n_2647435.html
mayoclinic.com/health/urinary-incontinence-surgery/WO00126
Usually occurring during menopause, women at this stage are at a high risk of suffering a pelvic health disorder described as Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP). This disorder is characterized by the descent of a pelvic organ from its usual position towards the lower pelvic area where it presses against the vaginal wall. This condition comes about when the muscles of the pelvic floor lose strength or become weakened, mostly due to vaginal delivery and surgical operations, making it unable to support the different pelvic organs.
Indications of POP
When the following symptoms are experienced by a woman, she may have developed POP:
With the bulge created in the vagina, pressure may be sensed by the patient
Feeling very full in the lower belly
An awkward feeling as if something is falling out of the vagina
The back portion of the body or the area around the groin may experience extreme soreness
Especially when the bladder is affected, there may be urinary incontinence
Dyspareunia or painful intercourse may be very common
And having problems with bowels such as constipation
POP Treatment Options
Options in the treatment of POP include surgical interventions. Surgical operations for POP have been performed on countless patients. Medical procedures using transvaginal mesh have become one of the most favored methods for treating this pelvic floor disorder.
When the pelvic floor muscles and tissues lose their strength, a device which is called surgical mesh or pelvic mesh is used to give the proper support. While the usual materials are the non-absorbable synthetic type, surgical mesh may also be sourced from animals. Transvaginal mesh is not only limited to POP repairs but also includes the repair of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Similar to POP treatments, pelvic mesh devices for SUI repairs also provide support to the urethra or bladder neck.
A sling procedure on the other hand is also a common surgery to treat SUI. It uses strips of the body's tissue or a synthetic material such as mesh to create a pelvic sling or hammock around the bladder neck and the urethra that carries urine from the bladder. The sling provides support to keep the urethra intact when coughing or sneezing.
Complications of POP Repairs
However adverse reports were forwarded to the Food and Drug Administration from 2008 to 2010 pertaining to surgical mesh devices where mesh tends to erode through the vagina. Other complications include pain, infection, bleeding, and pain during intercourse, organ perforation and urinary problems. It has been found that many of these complications require medical or surgical treatment and hospitalization.
The serious injuries sustained by these women have compelled the FDA to release a public health notification informing of the dangers believed to be caused by vaginal mesh devices. Adverse reports concerning the dangers of using mesh implants continue to be submitted to the FDA. Women who were implanted with these devices and who have suffered serious injuries have filed mesh implant lawsuits against different mesh manufacturers.
Lawsuit Updates
Pending mesh implant claims in various state and federal courts have been estimated to overshoot the 50,000 mark, with the most number in West Virginia centralized into six multidistrict litigations (MDL). With a few mesh lawsuits already resolved in court, trials for the other defendants have been scheduled for 2014.
Sources:
webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/tc/pelvic-organ-prolapse-topic-overview
fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/UroGynSurgicalMesh/ucm262299.htm
huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/08/pelvic-mesh-lawsuits-surgical_n_2647435.html
mayoclinic.com/health/urinary-incontinence-surgery/WO00126
About the Author:
If you are concerned about mesh implant, it is best if you will research more about it first. There are a lot of things that you need to know if you want to improve the health of women.
No comments:
Post a Comment