Florida Woman Files Ethicon Physiomesh Lawsuit Following Failed Incisional Hernia Repair

Published on October 6, 2016 by Sandy Liebhard

A Florida woman is now pursuing a hernia mesh lawsuit against Ethicon, Inc. after allegedly suffering serious complications related to one of the company’s Physiomesh patches. The complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, claims that the Physiomesh product she received suffers from numerous defects and is associated with a high risk of patient injury.

According to her September 22^nd fiing, Joanne Quinn underwent incisional hernia repair in May 2014 with Ethicon’s Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh (Product Code PHY2025V). Post-surgery, her condition deteriorated, and Quinn experienced persistent abdominal pain, diminished bowel motility and bowel obstruction. She underwent an exploratory laparotomy in July 2015 to remedy complications purportedly caused by Physiomesh. However, her surgeon was unable to remove all of the allegedly defective material from her body.

Quinn asserts that she will likely suffer pain and medical complications for the rest of her life due to debris from the hernia patch that remains in her abdominal wall. She further claims that Physiomesh is made from materials that are not inert and that react to human tissues, placing patients at risk for chronic pain, infection, hernia recurrence, adhesions, intestinal blockage, mesh migration, mesh contraction and repeated surgery.

Physiomesh Market Withdrawal

The Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh product cited in this complaint was one of several product codes included in a voluntary market withdrawal issued by Ethicon in May. The withdrawal announcement  was made after unpublished data from two European hernia registries suggested that Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh was associated with higher average recurrence and revision rates compared to other meshes used in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.  Ethicon was unable to determine the cause of this issue, but noted that it could be due to product characteristics, as well as operative and patient factors.

Quinn’s case is just one of the most recent Physiomesh lawsuits filed in U.S. courts in recent months. At least one other case is scheduled to go to trial in January 2018.