In 1996, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first transvaginal mesh device. The device was created to treat women with pelvic organ prolapse or “POP,” as it’s more commonly known. POP is a medical condition which causes pelvic organs to wander or drop out of place. In theory, transvaginal mesh was used to keep said organs from moving.
However, beginning in 2005, the FDA started receiving reports of issues with the aforementioned transvaginal mesh implants. Complications included tearing of the vaginal wall, pain, nerve damage, infection, bleeding and—in certain instances—death. Since 2005, there have been nearly 40,000 lawsuits related to transvaginal mesh complications.
