Ethicon Hernia Mesh Adhesions Lawsuit

Man claims that Ethicon hernia mesh adhesions injuries were due to the plastic product. Charles Racine from Delaware recently filed a product liability lawsuit because of injuries from the Ethicon Physiomesh that was used during his ventral hernia repair.

Racine filed his claim against Johnson and Johnson and its unit, Ethicon in Maryland federal court. According to Racine, he developed small bowel adhesions and had to have the hernia mesh surgically removed from his body.

Racine claims that Johnson & Johnson and its Ethicon subsidiary sold a hernia mesh plastic device with many defects, creating a high risk of unreasonable and dangerous injuries.

Racine had an Ethicon Physiomesh hernia patch implanted in early 2014, for surgical repair of a ventral hernia. In February 2016 his doctors found that he suffered serious adhesions, with loops of small bowel attached to the mesh and adhesions in the upper and mid abdomen.

Ethicon Physiomesh Adhesions

Racine alleges that the plastic material used in Ethicon Physiomesh is not inactive and interacts with human tissue, causing bacterial infections, and an inflammatory condition known as adhesions. According to his lawsuit, the hernia mesh components also have the tendency to move or migrate from the implant site. Furthermore, Racine claims that the hernia mesh device fails, causing recurrence of the hernia and requires painful surgical removal that causes more damage.

This implant and removal process leads to a vicious cycle of even more adhesions.

What is Ethicon Physiomesh?

Ethicon Physiomesh was approved in March 2010 and is one of the most popular hernia mesh devices to be used during hernia repair surgery. The mesh device has been dinged by reports of serious complications following hernia repair, requiring risky surgical procedures to remove the device.

Ethicon during its internal investigation could not find the cause of these hernia repair problems, and so decided to withdraw the product from the market worldwide in May 2016. The Ethicon hernia mesh recall was classified as a “market withdrawal” in the United States, but all hospitals were asked to return unused implants and the manufacturer does not intend to return the product to the market.

Ethicon uses plastic or polypropylene to make the base layer of the Physiomesh. The Physiomesh is used for laparoscopic ventral (abdominal) and inguinal (groin) hernia repair.

Ethicon Hernia Mesh Multidistrict Litigation Pending

A motion was filed last month with U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), seeking to transfer all cases to the Middle District of Florida for coordinated discovery pretrial proceedings. The panel will consider oral arguments in May.

If you or a loved was injured by an Ethicon Physiomesh hernia mesh device requiring surgery to remove the device, contact the Dr. Shezad Malik law firm immediately 214-390-3189. Our office handles Ethicon Physiomesh hernia mesh device lawsuits nationwide.