Hernia mesh – what is the long-term safety? (30 July 2025)

Summary

Kath Sansom, Sling the Mesh, comments on a new study published in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research that has added further weight to the growing body of evidence questioning the long-term safety of synthetic hernia mesh implants.

Content

Key points

Like all surgical mesh, hernia mesh complications can take years to emerge - and most patients are never followed up long enough to catch them.

 A staggering 1.7 million people have had hernia mesh surgery in the NHS since 2004. Yet, no lifetime tracking means the true scale of suffering is unknown.

 Studies show:

• Mesh can shrink and erode into organs over time.
• Some patients experience systemic reactions, chronic pain, and even loss of mobility or sex life.
• 15+ years of follow-up is needed to fully assess risks.

Patients deserve fully informed consent and access to non-mesh alternatives like the Shouldice repair.  

For campaigners like Sling the Mesh, this research is a vital tool in the fight for justice and reform. It underscores the urgent need for:

• Independent long-term safety studies.
• Robust quality of life questionnaires that capture new onset of pain and other complications.
• Informed consent that includes mesh risks.
• Non-mesh surgical alternatives.
• Support for those already harmed.