Avaulta Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit

Avaulta vaginal mesh (Avaulta Plus, Solo, or Biosynthetic) is a sling-like surgical mesh used to treat Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) or Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI). Unfortunately, Avaulta vaginal mesh side effects can be severe — including infection, organ perforation, scarring, pain, nerve damage, and more. Numerous scientific studies and the FDA have warned about these severe, life-threatening side effects, and yet there has never been a recall. If you were injured by Avaulta vaginal mesh, you may be entitled to compensation if you file an Avaulta vaginal mesh lawsuit.

What You Can Do & How an Avaulta Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Avaulta vaginal mesh induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Avaulta vaginal mesh, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

UPDATE

July 25, 2012 — A jury has awarded Christine Scott and her husband $5.5 million in the first Avaulta vaginal mesh lawsuit to go to trial. There are at least 650 vaginal mesh lawsuits currently pending in federal court, and women continue to contact vaginal mesh lawyers seeking compensation and justice for their serious injuries.

Avaulta Vaginal Mesh

The Avaulta vaginal mesh is a medical device manufactured by C.R. Bard. It is a type of surgical mesh that is used to treat Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI), two conditions that occur when pelvic muscles become weakened, a common complication of pregnancy or aging.

There are three types of Avaulta vaginal mesh:

• Avaulta Plus
• Avaulta Solo
• Avaulta Biosynthetic

These devices are implanted through the vagina, and they are placed under the vaginal skin. Over time, the body’s tissues grow into the mesh, and the mesh provides reinforcement for weakened vaginal tissue. This helps prevent organs from prolapsing into the vagina, and also helps prevent incontinence when a woman coughs, sneezes, or laughs.

Vaginal Mesh and the FDA

The FDA first warned about the risk of transvaginal mesh complications in 2008. At this point, the FDA had received more than 1000 reports of vaginal mesh complications since 2005. The most common complication involved the vaginal mesh eroding into the vaginal tissue, with approximately 10% of women requiring surgery to remove the mesh within 12 months. Another common complication was perforation of the mesh into the bowel, bladder, or blood vessels during the insertion procedure.

On July 13, 2011, the FDA issued a public safety warning that advised doctors and patients to consider alternatives to transvaginal mesh. Although numerous women have reported severe Avaulta vaginal mesh side effects, and the FDA has issued several safety warnings, there has been no recall of these devices.

Many women are angry that the Avaulta vaginal mesh devices were allowed on the market at all. A Congressional investigation found that the Avaulta vaginal mesh was fast-tracked through the FDA approval process through the 510(k) process, which allows “similar” medical devices to be approved without submitting any safety information. Even more alarming, the “similar” devices were vaginal mesh products that had previously been recalled amid safety concerns.

Avaulta Vaginal Mesh Side Effects

Avaulta vaginal mesh side effects may include:

• Perforation of organs
• Nerve damage
• Pain (which can interfere with intercourse and decrease quality of life)
• Erosion of the device into vaginal tissue
• Painful urination
• Life-threatening infection
• Bleeding
• Vaginal shortening, tightening, or disfigurement
• Psychological damage

Avaulta Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit

More than a thousand women have filed vaginal mesh lawsuits. Of these, around 400 lawsuits were filed against C.R. Bard, the manufacturer of Avaulta vaginal mesh.

In 2010, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated the Avaulta vaginal mesh lawsuits before one judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Virginia. Since then, more and more women have filed lawsuits into the MDL. Unlike class action lawsuits, cases remain independent in an MDL.

Recently, the federal judge overseeing the Avaulta vaginal mesh lawsuits decided to extend the amount of time for lawyers to prepare cases and exchange information, due to the fact that hundreds of Avaulta vaginal mesh lawsuits have been filed in the last few months. The first bellwether trial is set for February 2013.

If you were injured by Avaulta vaginal mesh, you may still have time to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, decreased quality of life, lost income, and more.

Do I have an Avaulta Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Avaulta vaginal mesh induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Avaulta vaginal mesh, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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