Sling the Mesh: Men’s mesh slings have devastating complications (13 December 2023)

Summary

Mesh slings made of the same polypropylene plastic as the suspended women’s slings have been implanted into nearly 200 men across the UK suffering incontinence after prostate cancer.

The operations were part of a trial in 28 hospitals where half the slings failed to fix men’s urinary leakage. Worse, just like the majority of women’s mesh implant trials, the full range of mesh-related pain was not logged in any paperwork.

Content

The trial, called the MASTER study, shows up to half the men given mesh surgery experienced:

• Burning or stinging when passing urine
• Discomfort and bruising in the perineum, scrotum and groins.
• Other complications of men’s mesh slings include:
• Mesh slicing into their urethra
• Overactive bladder
• Groin pain
• Chest infection, pulmonary embolism, stroke, deep vein thrombosis
• Heart attack
• Death.

The MASTER study wanted to see if men’s mesh slings were more effective than the traditional non-mesh surgery; an operation using an artificial urinary sphincter that requires more time and surgeon skill.

The trial set out to see if mesh slings were quicker, easier and more cost effective.

Sound familiar?

Now, trial authors admit they need to log and compare pain levels between mesh and non-mesh surgeries for their five year follow up  – but why was this not included from the outset?