What is Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)?

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is a common condition that occurs when weakened pelvic muscles allow the urethra to open accidentally during physical activity. There are many ways of treating SUI, and in the late 1990s, surgeons began using a device called vaginal mesh to treat SUI by supporting weakened pelvic muscles. Unfortunately, vaginal mesh caused thousands of serious, permanent injuries. There is an ongoing litigation against the manufacturers of vaginal mesh, and women continue to file vaginal mesh lawsuits for their SUI repair injuries.

What You Can Do & How a Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit Can Help

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

What is Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)?

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is involuntary urination during physical exertion, coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise. Certain muscles around the urethra (called the “sphincter”) must be squeezed to keep urine from leaking out of the bladder. When these muscles become weakened, they are not able to prevent urine from leaking when pressure is placed on the abdomen.

Stress Urinary Incontinence is a very common condition that affects thousands of women. It is usually caused by multiple pregnancies with vaginal delivery, injury to the urethra, prolonged coughing, certain medications, or surgery in the pelvis. It is also common in women who also have Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP), a condition where weakened pelvic muscles allow abdominal organs to protrude into the rectum or vagina.

Treatment for Stress Urinary Incontinence

There is no single treatment for Stress Urinary Incontinence, and there are many options for treating the condition. A doctor may recommend treating Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) with behavioral changes, medication, muscle exercises, or surgery. Often, because SUI is not life-threatening, the decisions about care are made by the patient.

• Most surgeons recommend behavioral changes to begin treatment. This involves reducing fluid intake, urinating more often, avoiding exercise, taking laxatives or fiber to prevent constipation, quitting smoking cigarettes, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, managing Type-2 diabetes, losing weight for people who are overweight, and avoiding foods that irritate the bladder.
• Pelvic floor exercises (also known as Kegel exercises) can help strengthen muscles in the pelvic floor.
• Another treatment is electrical stimulation, which involves a low electrical current that causes muscles to contract.
• A doctor may also recommend a vaginal cone, which is a tampon-like device that is inserted into the vagina and kept in place by contracting muscles in the pelvis.
• A device called a pessary can be inserted into the vagina, with two prongs to support the bladder neck and urethra. There is a very low risk of side effects with this device.
• Medications may be prescribed, or hormonal therapy
• Surgical therapy for SUI has existed for more than 100 years. There are about 200 different surgical procedures, and techniques have improved greatly to improve prognosis and minimize invasiveness, hospitalization, cost, and recovery time.

Vaginal Mesh Lawsuits

Vaginal mesh is a medical device that is implanted into a woman’s pelvis. It consists of a biological or synthetic mesh that is absorbed and incorporated into the pelvis, acting like a hammock to support weakened pelvic muscles.

Unfortunately, vaginal mesh has been linked to many complications, and two manufacturers (C.R. Bard and Johnson & Johnson) have stopped selling their vaginal mesh products. Many women are upset because the products were approved under the FDA’s 510(k) system, which means that they were never thoroughly tested before being implanted in women.

If you were injured by vaginal mesh, you could have a vaginal mesh lawsuit and be entitled to significant financial compensation. As of July 2012, five different manufacturers are facing hundreds of vaginal mesh lawsuits from women who suffered erosion, organ damage (perforated colon, blood vessels, bladder), nerve damage, scarring, chronic pain, and severe disfigurement of the vagina.

If you file a vaginal mesh lawsuit, you may be awarded damages for your pain and suffering, past and future medical expenses, lost income, disability, decreased quality of life, and more.

Do I have a Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit?

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

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