Transvaginal Mesh, Part 2: Deadly Devices

The Smokescreen of Safety

In chemistry, inert describes a substance that is not chemically reactive.  It has no intrinsic action, motion, or resistance - it does nothing. So within the body, there shouldn't be an ounce of inflammation, no bodily reactions; it should just sit there. But in 2012, a US Federal Lawsuit against Bard and 18 of its mesh products pointed to evidence that surgical mesh was not Inert. 

“Despite claims that polypropylene is inert, the scientific evidence shows that this material as implanted in the relevant female Plaintiff set forth in the Short Form Complaint is biologically incompatible with human tissue and promotes a negative immune response in a large subset of the population implanted with Defendants’ Pelvic Mesh Products. This negative response promotes inflammation of the pelvic tissue and can contribute to the formation of severe adverse reactions to the mesh. Furthermore, Defendants' collagen products cause hyperinflammatory responses leading to problems including chronic pain …