Surgical Mesh Compensation Claim Solicitors

A surgical mesh is a sheet made from biological or inorganic materials that can be used in a variety of surgeries. The sheet is loosely woven and is typically used as a form of support for tissues or organs in surgery.

While it has many uses, surgical mesh is most commonly used in hernia mesh surgery.

Hernia mesh surgery involves the use of a mesh implant in order to strengthen weak tissues that cause inguinal hernias.

Whilst all surgeries come with multiple potential risks, hernia mesh surgery is a branch of medicine in which complications are quite common. In fact, the chance of a patient developing long term issues as a result of hernia mesh surgery is between 12% and 30%.

As a procedure that has a high chance for complications further down the road, it is vital that patients receive the highest level of care possible prior to, during, and after their surgery.

Sometimes, however, healthcare professionals make mistakes. If avoidable harm is inflicted on a patient due to the unnecessary action, or inaction, of a healthcare professional, then this could be a case of hernia mesh surgery negligence.

Why us?

At SDS Solicitors, we know that nothing we do can ever take away the pain or the stress that victims of surgical mesh negligence go through.

But what we can do is help victims claim for compensation that can greatly reduce the financial burden which can often arise in the aftermath of hernia mesh surgery negligence.

We may be Manchester-based, but we’ve been championing our clients from across England and Wales since 1997.

To find out if you could be one of them, if you have a claim and how much you could be entitled to, get in touch with us today by calling the number at the top of this page or filling out our contact form.

What is an inguinal hernia?

When fatty tissue or an organ pushes through weakened muscle or tissue surrounding the groin, it can cause a bulge beneath the skin. This bulge is known as an inguinal hernia.

Notably, an inguinal hernia may also appear as swelling around the scrotum.

Inguinal hernias can occur in both men and women of any age, though are more likely to occur in men.

As we age, the muscles that surround our abdomen become weaker, and so inguinal hernias are more likely to happen as we get older.

They can also be caused by a sudden pressure on the abdomen that occur as a result of constipation.

It is also thought that persistent, heavy coughing may also be linked to an inguinal hernia in a similar way.

What complications may be caused by an inguinal hernia?

Inguinal hernias, while being inconvenient on their own, can also cause further issues in patients.

For example, a section of the patient’s bowel may become trapped, cutting off its blood supply and necessitating emergency surgery to restore the blood supply and protect the bowel.

Similarly, a section of the patient’s bowel can become stuck and obstruct the inguinal canal, resulting in nausea, stomach pain and vomiting.

For those who suffer with severe symptoms or are suffering with complications caused by their hernia, a doctor may recommend surgery.

How is an inguinal hernia treated?

A mesh implant is a method of treating hernias – although, depending on the size, placement and severity of the hernia, and on the patient themselves, there may be other treatments suggested.

Hernia mesh surgery, or hernia repair surgery, is carried out to strengthen the weakened tissue that causes hernias.

It can be carried out through one of two methods:

• Open surgery.   The surgeon will make an incision and push the hernia back through the weak area of muscle before applying the mesh to strengthen it.
• Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery.  The mesh is inserted through the abdominal wall lining in order to repair the weakness in the muscle. Sometimes, this can also be performed without passing through the abdominal lining.

Hernia repair surgery is a very common surgery, but just like with any other type of surgery, hernia mesh surgery comes with its own set of risks for patients.

What are the complications of hernia mesh surgery?

Sometimes, complications may be unavoidable.

For example, when the mesh is broken down it can attach to other parts of the body that it was never intended to help treat. This can cause huge amounts of damage to other parts of the body.

On the other hand, when the mesh is not fitted correctly during the procedure, this can also lead to similar outcomes, but would instead be a case of negligent treatment.

Some of the most common issues that can arise as a result of unforeseen complications or by medical negligence include:

• Nerve trauma
• Chronic pain (typically in the abdomen)
• Bowel obstruction complications
• Damage to organs
• The body may reject your mesh implant
• The hernia may also return

In order to avoid these unwanted side effects of surgery, surgeons and healthcare professionals must be precise and methodical in order to give their patients the highest possible quality of care.

But sometimes, healthcare professionals can fall short of this and can fail to fulfil their duty of care to their patients. This can result in harm, which would otherwise have been avoided, being inflicted on the patient.

If you, or someone close to you, have suffered mentally, physically, financially, or emotionally because a healthcare professional caused avoidable harm to you before, during or after your hernia mesh surgery, then you may be a victim of hernia mesh surgery negligence.

To find out whether your situation could be considered medical negligence, and whether you could have a claim, get in touch with an expert solicitor.

Call us at the number at the top of the page or fill out our contact form, and a member of our dedicated team will be in touch to discuss your situation and how we may be able to help you take your next steps.

When do complications with hernia mesh surgery become mesh surgery negligence?

When a patient’s complications pre, during, or post-surgery, are caused by the lack of proper care by their medical team, then this could be considered medical negligence.

If you, or a close family member, have experienced negligent care, then you could have a claim.

To find out for sure, call us at the number at the top of this page.

My complications post hernia mesh surgery were misdiagnosed. Is this medical negligence?

In the aftermath of any surgery, medical professionals know what symptoms to look out for in case any complications arise.

Similarly, even if some time has passed since your hernia repair surgery, your GP should be aware that any symptoms you have could be related to your surgery in some way and should follow up on this.

So, if you have been misdiagnosed with a condition (when your symptoms were actually caused by complications resulting from mesh surgery) resulting in further mental, financial or physical anguish, then you could have a claim for medical negligence.

To find out for sure, contact the experts by calling our number at the top of this page.

After hernia mesh surgery, I was left with an infection. What should I do?

Even when a surgery is performed perfectly, there is always the slight chance of an infection occurring. But this should be a low chance if the medical team has followed the correct procedure.

Whether you believe that your infection could have been caused by negligent care or not, if you have any of the symptoms of an infection (such as pain or a fever) after mesh surgery, seeking medical help as soon as possible is essential.

Otherwise, those who previously had an infection after hernia mesh surgery that they believe could have been caused by hernia mesh surgery negligence should seek out expert legal advice to discover what their next steps could be.

I don’t think I gave consent for my hernia mesh surgery. What are my next steps?

Doctors have a duty to ensure – not only that their patients agree to any surgical procedure, but also, that patients are made fully aware of the possible complications that come with hernia mesh surgery.

If you have experienced any complications after undergoing hernia mesh surgery that you were not warned of, or if you don’t remember giving your consent prior to surgery, then your best next step is to seek out legal advice.

We know that hernia mesh surgery can be a stressful experience, dealing with its possible complications even more so. But nobody should have to experience complications that they were not warned about, and nobody should go through surgery without fully understanding its risks and giving proper consent.

How can I make a claim?

The process of making a claim can be a difficult one. Thankfully, with the right legal advice, the process becomes much simpler.

When you get in touch with us, our first step is to make sure that we fully understand your case. Then, we can advise you as to whether you have a potential claim or not.

If you do have a claim, then we give you expert legal advice regarding what your next steps should be.

After that, we then make sure that the amount you claim for considers the physical toll that was caused by the negligent care you received, the length of time required to recover fully, loss of earnings during this period and the emotional toll that your situation has caused.

To find out whether you could have a claim, what you could be entitled to and how we can help, get in touch.

Contact us

We are a leading specialist medical negligence, accident at work and personal injury law firm acting for claimants nationwide.

Our expert medical negligence solicitors regularly act for clients across Greater Manchester including Ashton, Bury, Bolton, Radcliffe, Prestwich, Middleton, Failsworth, Rochdale, Oldham and Whitefield.

Our team of recognised Surgery Negligence Claims Solicitors can support your needs wherever you live in Wales, England & Northern Ireland.

Call us for free now using the number at the top of the page or complete the online contact form and a member of our team will get back to you.