Millions of women suffer from stress urinary incontinence (SUI), the involuntary loss of urine during physical activities such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, or running. SUI is not just inconvenient; it can be embarrassing, and it can keep a woman from participating in her favorite activities.
SUI is most commonly treated with a bladder sling. A bladder sling is a strip of synthetic, mesh-like material that is used to support the bladder and urethra and keep them closed during physical activity. The sling is surgically inserted through small incisions during outpatient surgery.
A bladder sling that works as intended can change a woman’s life. She can laugh without fear and exercise without worrying about embarrassment. However, not every bladder sling surgery is successful. Bladder slings are associated with painful complications.
Studies have found that more than twenty percent of women who receive vaginal slings suffer complications. These complications include:
- Pelvic pain
- Abdominal pain
- Infection
- Internal bleeding
- Difficulty urinating
- Urgent need to urinate
- Recurrent incontinence
- Pain during intercourse
- Erosion of the vagina or other organs
- Vaginal scarring
- Vaginal disfigurement
- Organ perforation
- Mesh contraction
- Psychological injuries
Removing a sling that has caused injury is not a simple procedure. Because the sing is embedded in the woman’s tissue, multiple revision surgeries may be needed. The patient will have to avoid strenuous activity for at least a month after each procedure. She may be unable to urinate without the aid of a catheter and will need to give up swimming and sexual intercourse until she has fully recovered.
Have you suffered painful side effects from a bladder sling? Contact a Salt Lake City medical device attorney, and learn how you can join the thousands of women who have filed bladder-sling injury lawsuits. To find out if you qualify for compensation, schedule a free consultation with Utah personal injury attorney James Esparza. To schedule an appointment, call the James Esparza Law Firm at 800-745-4050.