The vast majority of women never need to understand exactly what transvaginal mesh really is.
Some will need to know this information, but the rest of the female population won't care what it is because they'll never need it.
However, if you're curious or your doctor tells you that you should consider it as an option, it's time to learn as much as you can about what transvaginal mesh really is, what it does, and how it works.
Transvaginal mesh is something that's used to treat two specific health conditions.
These health conditions are known as pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI.
Most women only experience these health conditions following childbirth, hysterectomies, and menopause.
Most women will not experience either diagnosis, but those who do will eventually need to consider whether or not to use transvaginal mesh.
The term "transvaginal" is simply the means by which doctors place mesh in a woman's vagina.
It is a process that can be done through the abdomen, but doctors prefer to do it transvaginally as it's far less invasive and much faster.
The "mesh" portion is exactly what it sounds like.
It's a mesh that's inserted to keep internal organs from falling into the vagina.
This includes body parts such as your rectum, bladder, or uterus.
While transvaginal mesh is something that's regularly used, it does cause side effects in many women.
Side effects could include anything from infection to organ perforation.
At the moment, there are several thousand lawsuits being filed against the manufacturers of transvaginal mesh due to the severity of some complications of the implant.
The Federal Drug Administration released a statement in 2011 discussing the potential side effects of transvaginal mesh, which was then followed up by warnings from other companies and complaints from women who have used the product.
There is no estimate as to the number of women that have undergone the surgery, but there are close to 40,000 lawsuits that are currently ongoing in an effort for women who suffered severe side effects.
What Is A Transvaginal Mesh Implant? A transvaginal mesh implant is a piece of mesh, sometimes a sling or tape, that is input into the vagina to correct medical problems such as POP and SUI.
These medical conditions are ones that cause internal organs to fall into the vagina, causing further complications and health problems.
Such problems include everything from pain to problems using the restroom.
The very first transvaginal mesh product was approved by the FDA in 1996 and recalled three years later due to a high failure rate that's been said to be as high as 10 percent.
However, the product itself was pulled off the market, but other products were able to get clearance from the FDA.
Since this happened, more than 4000 women have filed complaints about the product.
As many as 90 percent of the patients who had transvaginal mesh implants placed will never suffer any of the dangerous side effects.
However, medical professionals recommend women have their mesh checked annually to ensure it's doing its job correctly and without complication.
If you do notice that your mesh is not working correctly, it will likely be because you have vaginal pain or pelvic pain.
This pain often occurs during intercourse.
Some women notice persistent bleeding while others notice discharge and the return of their pelvic disorder that caused them to get the mesh implanted in the first place.
Despite the high rate of failure, however, you may never notice any issues with your own transvaginal mesh.
Most women do not.
However, because more than a few perfect do, it's important to alert women to the fact that side effects do occur, and when they do they can be dangerous.
What Is Transvaginal Mesh Used For? Transvaginal mesh is used to treat some very specific health problems.
The first one is called pelvic organ prolapse.
The second is called stress urinary incontinence.
Both health problems tend to develop only in women who have experienced vaginal childbirth, menopause, or a hysterectomy.
Women who do not experience any of these will not find themselves in need of transvaginal mesh.
When a woman does experience one of these health issues, her internal organs such as her rectum and/or her uterus fall into her vagina, causing a significant amount of pain and many negative effects on her health.
For women to go back to living their lives normally, many medical professionals insert something called mesh.
It's called transvaginal only when it's inserted through the vagina.
Otherwise, it is inserted abdominally and just referred to as mesh.
While the purpose of this mesh is to keep a woman's internal organs in place, it does come with a list of side effects.
These transvaginal mesh side effects include vaginal scarring, inflammation, vaginal pain during and after sexual intercourse, and even recurrence of the previous condition.
Since the device's primary purpose is to keep a woman's organs where they're supposed to go rather than in her vagina, the failure to do this in many cases is a negative.
If you have transvaginal mesh, you will want to get it checked annually when you visit your doctor.
Your doctor can see whether or not the mesh is working correctly or you're beginning to have issues with the product.
For example, you can't see vaginal scarring, but your doctor can.
If you notice frequent bleeding, pain during sexual intercourse or after sexual intercourse, or you begin to have trouble using the restroom in any way, shape, or form, call your doctor immediately.
You will need to have your mesh checked out to ensure that everything is working properly and you are not in any danger.
There are several different types of mesh on the market, each one marketed by a different company.
You'll recognize them from brands such as Johnson and Johnson and other name brand manufacturers.