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Found 80 results
  1. News Article
    Sam Hindle has 23cm of polypropylene mesh in her body and lives in constant fear that it will become unstable and cause irreversible damage. "You are in your own Battle Royale, strapped to a time bomb, and thinking when is it going to go off," she told the BBC. Sam, 46, is one of hundreds of women in Scotland who have suffered life-changing symptoms since they had a transvaginal mesh implant. After years of campaigning by the women, the Scottish government has promised it will cover the costs of mesh removal at private clinics in the UK and US. But Sam has been waiting more than two years just for a referral to the Complex Mesh Surgical Service in Glasgow to start the process. The Scottish government announced last year that it had signed a contract to allow NHS patients to visit a US expert for mesh removal surgery The contract with Gynaecologic and Reconstructive Surgery of Missouri, where Dr Dionysios Veronikis operates, follows a similar contract agreed with Spire Healthcare in Bristol. The cost of each removal procedure is estimated to be £16,000 to £23,000. But in order to access such treatment, women have to be assessed by the national service in Glasgow. Women like Sam say there are waiting years to just get referred for assessment. With further delays for appointments and then waits for surgery. Read full story Source: BBC News, 2 March 2023
  2. Content Article
    The OptiBreech project is a research study exploring the feasibility of evaluating a new care pathway for women with a breech pregnancy. About 1 in 25 babies are born bottom-down (breech) after 37 weeks of pregnancy. Women who wish to plan a vaginal breech birth have asked for more reliable support from an experienced professional. This aligns with national policy to enable maternal choice. In this video, Dr Shawn Walker explains why the combination of meconium and tachycardia, particularly in the first stage of labour, indicates increased risk in breech births.
  3. News Article
    Mesh campaigners claim Scotland's Health Secretary Humza Yousaf refused to meet them to hear their concerns. Patients blame surgical mesh products for leaving them disabled and in chronic pain and want the Scottish Government to hold an independent review into the use of the products. However, followihttps://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/mesh-campaigners-claim-humza-yousaf-29075491ng a debate in the Scottish Parliament earlier this month, the Health Secretary denied their request. Campaigner Roseanna Clarkin, of the Scottish Global Mesh Alliance, said Yousaf has refused several requests for meetings with campaigners spanning nearly two years. Roseanna, who has been left with crippling pain after mesh was used on her umbilical hernia in 2015, has blasted him for “ignoring” those affected by mesh procedures. From the late 90s until 2018, women in Scotland were treated with polypropylene mesh implants for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. In some, it caused severe pain and life-changing side effects. While the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review called for a pause in use of vaginal mesh, the products are not banned for all procedures. The Scottish Global Mesh Alliance were behind the petition calling for an independent review which was debated at Holyrood. They want to suspend the use of all surgical mesh and fixation devices while a review is carried out. Roseanna said: “Why do they assume mesh in another part of the body would respond differently and not cause extreme pain and serious infections?” Read full story Source: Daily Record, 29 January 2023
  4. Content Article
    This report was produced by NHS Digital to investigate activity in the NHS in England surrounding patients who have had a procedure for the treatment of urogynaecological prolapse or stress urinary incontinence, including those where mesh, tape or their equivalents have been used. The report uses Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data and was undertaken to help the NHS and others establish a clearer national picture of patients who have had these procedures. NHS Digital notes that these statistics are classified as experimental and should be used with caution. Experimental statistics are new official statistics undergoing evaluation.
  5. Content Article
    This paper in the journal RSC Advances aimed to track changes in chemical bonding taking place in PP meshes on the nanoscale via mechano–chemical processes. The authors used the novel and advanced spectroscopic characterisation technique secondary electron hyperspectral imaging (SEHI) to build high resolution chemical maps. Polypropylene (PP) surgical mesh is associated with serious clinical complications when used in the pelvic floor for repair of stress urinary incontinence or support of pelvic organ prolapse. While manufacturers claim that the material is inert and non-degradable, there is a growing body of evidence that asserts PP fibres are subject to oxidative damage. Material surgically removed from patients suffering with clinical complications has shown some evidence of fibre cracking and oxidation. It has been proposed that a pathological cellular response to the surgical mesh contributes to medical complications, but the mechanisms that trigger the specific host response against the material are not well understood.  The study presented key insights into the mechano–chemistry reaction of PP which can cause polymer oxidation, changes in molecular structure, crack/craze formation and the release of etched oxidised insoluble particles. SEHI, provided a new route to link the effect of localised stresses to reactions of mechano–chemistry within PP. The method of mechanical distension testing during hydrogen peroxide exposure followed SEHI image analysis could form the basis of an “early warning” system which has the ability to identify materials which are not appropriate for use as medical implants.
  6. Content Article
    This study, published in the International Urogynecology Journal, involved 18 interviews with women who had experienced vaginal mesh complications. Four themes were identified:perceived impact of mesh complicationsattitudes of medical professionalssocial support and positive growth. The impact of vaginal mesh complications were wide-reaching and varied, affecting many aspects of the participants lives including mental health, relationships and sexual intimacy. Authors conclude that a greater awareness would lead to better support for women experiencing mesh complications.
  7. Content Article
    Fatigue and sleep deprivation may affect healthcare professionals' skills and communication style and also may affect clinical outcomes. However, there are no current guidelines limiting the volume of deliveries and procedures performed by a single individual, or on the length of time that they can be on call. This Committee Opinion from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) analyses research relating to fatigue and performance in healthcare professionals in order to make recommendations to doctors and managers to improve staff and patient safety.
  8. Content Article
    The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of transvaginal mesh bacterial colonisation in the development of mesh-related complication (MRCs).  An observational and exploratory study from Diedrich et al. was performed including 49 patients indicated for mesh removal and 20 women of whom vaginal tissue was retrieved during prolapse surgery as a reference cohort. The authors observed distinct differences in bacterial numbers and species between patients suffering from MRCs compared to a reference cohort. Bacteria were observed at the mesh-tissue interface in a biofilm. These results strongly support the potential role of bacterial mesh colonization in the development of MRCs.
  9. News Article
    The rising number of women who have caesarean sections instead of natural births is causing concern for the National Childbirth Trust (NCT). The trust, which supports women through pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood, says it does not know why the rate of caesareans is increasing. One in four maternity services showed a caesarean rate of between 20% and 29.9%, and 2% of services had a rate of more than 30%, according to latest figures. The World Health Organization recommends that the acceptable rate is 10 to 15%. The maternity care working party, a multi-disciplinary group set up by the NCT, said there was an urgent need to address the problem. "A caesarean is major abdominal surgery," the working party said in a statement to a conference in London with the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists "Most women would prefer to give birth normally, provided that a normal birth is considered safe for them and their baby. It is important that health professionals' advice does not have the effect of denying them this opportunity without good reason." The working party is calling for data to be published on caesarean section rates and for obstetricians to justify in each case that the benefits outweigh the hazards. It also wants action to be taken to prevent any inappropriate use of caesarean sections. Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the NCT, said: "We know that in many cases caesareans are necessary for good clinical reasons. However, in our view rates have reached unacceptable levels and we want to know why." Read full story Source: The Guardian, 24 November 2022
  10. News Article
    A US Senate investigation into allegations that unwanted medical procedures were performed on detained female immigrants in Georgia has uncovered “a catastrophic failure by the federal government” to protect the detainees. A Senate hearing on Tuesday by the bipartisan permanent subcommittee on investigations (PSI), chaired by the Georgia senator Jon Ossoff, announced its findings on conditions and practices at the Irwin county detention center (ICDC). The ICDC, located in Ocilla, Georgia, housed detainees who shared accounts of poor treatment including gynaecological procedures that were “excessive, invasive and often unnecessary”. An account of what was occurring at the ICDC first came to light when Dawn Wooten, a nurse at the facility, acted as a whistleblower. Ossoff called the alleged unnecessary and sometimes non-consensual medical treatment and procedures disclosed in the 18-month investigation “nightmarish and disgraceful”. Ossoff said: “This is an extraordinarily disturbing finding, and in my view represents a catastrophic failure by the federal government to respect basic human rights.” The report detailed the harrowing account of an unnamed woman who was detained in the ICDC in 2020. The detainee describes how Dr Mahendra Amin allegedly removed a portion of her fallopian tube, a result of a dilation and curettage procedure she was not made aware of, and how Amin told her “she would never be able to have children naturally again”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 15 November 2022
  11. Content Article
    Worldwide, most Caesarean sections (CS) are performed under neuraxial anaesthesia. However, neuraxial anaesthesia can fail and intraoperative breakthrough pain can occur. The aim of this study from Roofthooft et al. was to evaluate the incidence of breakthrough pain in consecutive CS and to describe the potential risk factors for breakthrough pain. In a two centre, prospective audit all CS performed under neuraxial anesthesia were included and the occurrence of breakthrough pain as well as all possible risk factors of breakthrough pain were recorded as well as the alternative anesthetic strategy.
  12. Content Article
    In this blog, Kath Sansom, founder of the Sling the Mesh campaign, unpacks the findings of a medical device performance study into polypropylene mesh published by the Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) in the US. The document highlights significant gaps in evidence about the risk of complications associated with polypropylene (PP) surgical mesh.
  13. Content Article
    This report by the US non-profit organisation the Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) was commissioned by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine the safety profile of polypropylene (PP) mesh used in a variety of surgical procedures. ECRI performed a comprehensive literature search and systematic review to identify the current state of knowledge about how patients' bodies respond to PP mesh.
  14. Content Article
    Vaginal mesh implants were introduced in the late 1990s as a routine treatment for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, common complications following childbirth. However, these flexible plastic scaffolds have led to life-altering complications for many women including nerve damage, chronic pain, and several reported deaths. This blog outlines the story of vaginal mesh, from the 1990s to the present day.
  15. News Article
    An endometriosis sufferer has said her reproductive organs are so damaged by a three-year delay for surgery, it has affected her ability to have children. Claire Nicholls, 29, has been in pain for years with the condition - which involves tissue similar to the lining of the womb growing elsewhere. Ms Nicholls said she was passed from "pillar to post" and for 10 years, medical professionals did not seem to believe how much pain she was actually in. She has stage four endometriosis, which is the most severe and widespread. "The pain can be excruciating, at times I can't get out of bed and I have also had to attend the emergency department," she said. After opting to go private, her surgeon said he was unable to see many of her organs due to the amount of scarred tissue caused by the delay in surgery. "He told me the scarred tissue and adhesions were all around my organs... they couldn't remove it all as it could have damaged other organs including my bladder - it was just too severe," she said. Northern Ireland has the longest gynaecological waiting lists in the UK, according to a professional body. It is calling for two regional endometriosis centres. The report from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists found 36,900 women in Northern Ireland are on a gynaecology waiting list - a 42% increase since the start of the pandemic. Read full story Source: BBC News, 25 October 2022
  16. Content Article
    World Menopause Day is held every year on 18 October to raise awareness of the menopause and the support options available for improving health and wellbeing. In this blog, I want to raise awareness of surgical menopause, which affects over 4000 young women a year, specifically around the lack of information and support received before and after surgery.  
  17. Content Article
    This article by Carrie Murphy looks at the practice of inserting a 'husband stich' or 'daddy stitch', where midwives or obstetricians make an unnecessary extra stitch when repairing episiotomies or tearing from birth. The belief is that it will make the vaginal opening tighter and therefore increase pleasure for the woman's sexual partner. The author highlights that this is a real practice that has been carried out on women for many years, and describes the ongoing impact it can have on women affected, many of whom don't realise they have been given too many stitches. This misogynistic and unethical practice can cause additional pain for women during sex. The women featured in this article state that they did not consent to the practice, being vulnerable after childbirth and in many cases unaware of what a 'husband stitch' was. Angela Sanford reports only finding out that she had a 'husband stitch' five years after birth at a cervical screening appointment where the nurse expressed concern. Murphy expresses her concern that the practice may still be carried out without women's consent, leaving them feeling violated and in pain.
  18. Content Article
    Surgical menopause is the removal of both ovaries (bilateral oophorectomy) before a woman goes through biological menopause. Symptoms of surgical menopause are generally similar to that of a natural or chemically induced menopause, with a few established differences. Due to the sudden loss of ovarian function in surgical menopause, pre-menopausal women might experience more severe consequences, including increased rates of overall mortality, coronary heart disease, stroke, cognitive impairment, osteoporosis and sexual dysfunction. Surgical menopause can have significant consequences both short term and long term. Clear information and advice should be provided both before and after surgery to both the patient and their primary care team.
  19. Content Article
    Nine specialist mesh centres have been set up by NHS England to offer removal surgery and other treatment to women suffering from complications and pain as a result of vaginal mesh surgery, but women are reporting that they are not operating effectively. In this opinion piece, Kath Sansom highlights ten problems with these specialist mesh centres, evidenced by the real experiences of women who are part of the Sling the Mesh campaign Facebook group.
  20. News Article
    Over 50 new surgical hubs will open across the country to help bust the Covid-19 backlogs and offer hundreds of thousands more patients quicker access to vital procedures, Steve Barclay, has announced. These hubs will provide at least 100 more operating theatres and over 1,000 beds so people get the surgery they need. And they will deliver almost two million extra routine operations to reduce waiting lists over the next three years, backed by £1.5billion in government funding. They will focus mainly on providing high-volume, low-complexity surgery, as previously recommended by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, with particular emphasis on ophthalmology, general surgery, trauma and orthopaedics, gynaecology, ear nose and throat, and urology. Located on existing hospital sites, the surgical hubs will bring together skills and expertise of staff under one roof – reducing waiting times for some of the most-common procedures such as cataract surgeries and hip replacements. Improving quality and efficiency will mean patients have shorter waits for surgery, will be more likely to go home on the same day, and will be less likely to need additional treatment. And, as the hubs are separated from emergency services, surgical beds are kept free for patients waiting for planned operations, reducing the risk of short-notice cancellations and improving infection control. Read full story Source: Building Better Healthcare, 5 September 2022
  21. Content Article
    For the first time since the 1990s, the Surgeons’ Hall Museums in Edinburgh has displayed a new pathology specimen—a transvaginal tape removed in April 2022 from a woman suffering complications of vaginal tape (or mesh) surgery performed in 2006. In this blog Louise Wilkie, the museums' Curator, explains how the device came to be displayed, the history of vaginal tape surgery and the controversy surrounding its introduction and regulation. She also highlights concerns about the subsequent treatment of women who experienced life-changing complications as a result of the procedure.
  22. News Article
    Kath Sansom, a former journalist from Lynn is raising awareness about the potential risks associated with vaginal and rectal mesh surgery. Mesh implant surgery is used to treat prolapse and incontinence in women usually following childbirth, and some men have also had the procedure. But pain and complications after the implants have left hundreds of people in the UK in pain and so a campaign in 2015 was launched which has led to the Government announcing a suspension in the use of vaginal mesh. Kath initiated the Sling The Mesh campaign in 2015 following her own experience of mesh surgery. She said: "What is most important to women is financial redress. We are all innocent and have had our health and lives compromised. We shouldn't have to wait 40 years, as the victims of contaminated blood have. Some women are in wheelchairs and have lost pensions. I am not the woman that I was. It has taken a financial, physical and emotional toll." Read full story Source: Lynn News (24 August 2022)
  23. Content Article
    In this joint blog, Patient Safety Learning and Sling the Mesh highlight several issues with the specialist mesh centres set up by the NHS to provide treatment and surgery for women who have been harmed by mesh. We identify key patient safety issues and look at what needs to be done to ensure women receive timely, compassionate and appropriate treatment for complications they face as a result of mesh implants.
  24. News Article
    At 34 years old, Dawn Jaxson had two young daughters. Since going through childbirth she had been experiencing a prolapsed bladder and urinary incontinence. Her doctors recommended she have a vaginal mesh fitted to treat the problem, and she didn’t question their advice. But more than 15 years later, she wishes she had. “As soon as I’d actually had it fitted, I felt discomfort,” says Jaxson, now 50. “Then the pain just didn’t go.” After years of almost constant pelvic pain and “countless” medical appointments, Jaxson says: “This little tiny piece of tape is still ruining my life.” “I can literally be sat down and then out of nowhere, it will be like somebody is shoving a red-hot poker through my bladder,” she tells iNews. “Being intimate with somebody is just impossible. Sex is no joy. Imagine your worst period pain you could possibly have, and that’s what it’s like on a daily basis.” NHS Digital records show that between April 2008 and March 2017, 100,516 patients had a tape insertion procedure for stress urinary incontinence. A further 27,016 patients had a mesh procedure for pelvic organ prolapse. But the surgery was suspended in Scotland in 2014 and across the rest of the UK by 2018 following complaints about complications – and a review ordered. The review panel, overseen by Baroness Julia Cumberlege, spoke to more than 700 affected individuals and concluded that pelvic mesh procedures had caused “anguish, suffering, and many ruined lives”. In 2020, the panel set out nine recommendations to help the thousands of women affected, including the creation of specialist centres, so patients could have their mesh removed or receive further treatment. But two years on from that landmark report, women say they are still suffering debilitating symptoms and struggling to access the help they so desperately need. Kath Sansom, the founder of the campaigning group Sling the Mesh, has heard many similar stories from among the group’s 9,700 members. “The lack of action on financial redress is the biggest disappointment for women,” she says. “Pelvic mesh caused lifelong damage, and worse, the majority of us were not given any information on the risks. It’s not our fault this happened to us." “Some women have been left disabled in wheelchairs or walking with sticks. Others have had organs removed where mesh has turned brittle and sliced into them. Seven in 10 have lost their sex life. Everyone suffers chronic pain in varying degrees. Women have lost jobs, marriages, homes, and their quality of life.” Read full story Source: iNews, 18 August 2022
  25. Content Article
    Vaginal tapes, slings and meshes are medical devices that are surgically implanted to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in women. This report written on behalf of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) by York Health Economics Consortium, provides summaries of safety and adverse events related to vaginal tapes for SUI and POP. The summaries were developed using the data reported in systematic reviews of the effects and safety of vaginal tapes published in the 10 years up to 2012.
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