My daughter took her own life after pain caused by mesh surgery

A woman whose daughter took her own life after being left in chronic pain caused by giving birth has spoken of her family's heartbreak.

Sara Baines, 34, from Flintshire, died in September last year leaving her family devastated.

This week an inquest heard Sara suffered from chronic pain due to complications resulting from surgical mesh that was implanted after she gave birth in 2011.

Her mother, Alison Sharrock, says Sara was failed by the health system on multiple occasions.

Sara bled heavily whilst giving birth and suffered a second-degree tear. She had to have two surgeries to repair the tear, neither of which was completely successful. Sara found herself completely incontinent, at the age of 24.

In 2015, Sara was advised to have mesh fitted.

Alison said: "We were told the mesh was a 'quick-fix'. It felt like the answer to all her problems and she was thrilled. She had surgery but afterwards, though the incontinence improved, she had terrible abdominal pain."

The pain became so severe that Sara was offered a hysterectomy, aged 28. Afterwards, the pain only intensified, and her general health deteriorated. She suffered water infections, skin rashes, gum disease and unexplained pain. Unable to eat or sleep, she became depressed and anxious.

"She felt nobody was really listening to her. She felt she was gaslighted and fobbed off," said Alison.

Kath Sansom, founder of Sling The Mesh which has almost 10,000 members suffering irreversible pan and complications from surgical mesh implants, said: "Our hearts go out to Sara's family. Nine out of 10 people in our support group were not told any risks of having a plastic mesh permanently implanted."

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Source: Mail Online, 24 March 2023

Further reading on the hub:

• Doctors’ shocking comments reveal institutional misogyny towards women harmed by pelvic mesh
• “There’s no problem with the mesh”: A personal account of the struggle to get vaginal mesh removal surgery
• ‘Mesh removal surgery is a postcode lottery’ - patients harmed by surgical mesh need accessible, consistent treatment