Defective Products: Kugel Hernia Patch
For the past two weeks, our Chicago personal injury attorney has been discussing defective products cases, especially in relation to the pharmaceutical industry. Yet another questionable product causing dangerous injury is the Kugel Hernia Patch.
A ventral hernia occurs around incisions from previous surgeries, where scar tissue becomes thinned or stretched. For patients who require a ventral hernia repair, the “hernia patch” was developed to be placed on the inside lining of the torn or separated abdominal wall (thus patching the injury from the inside rather than out). This has been a popular choice of treatment for many years.
The tragedy is that some patches commonly used by surgeons have proven defective, causing potentially severe and life-threatening injury. Most recently, Davol, Inc., a subsidiary of C. R. Bard, Inc. (who is a medical device manufacturing giant), expanded an earlier 2005 Class I recall to include specific batches of large and extra large mesh patches under the brand names Bard®, Composix®, and Kugel® manufactured between January 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005.
These patches are surrounded by a recoiling “memory” ring, which is surgically implanted by a procedure that involves folding the ring and inserting it through the torn or stretched tissue. This is most commonly done during a laparoscopic procedure. Once in place, the ring is released and springs to its full size, securing the mesh patch like a shield over the affected area.
Illinois personal injury lawyers say complaints of broken rings began to surface, both during the implant procedure itself, as well as post-operatively. When broken, the ring can puncture the abdominal wall, or migrate, causing serious and potentially life-threatening complications, such as bowel perforations and blockages of other gastro-intestinal organs.
“In addition to the defective ring itself, the manufacturer is alleged to have provided inadequate training to physicians regarding ‘folding’ procedures prior to insertion, and in some cases, no training at all, which may have contributed to the number of broken rings overall,” says one Chicago personal injury attorney.
Patients who have undergone surgical repair a ventral hernia with a mesh patch and develop unexplained abdominal pain, fever or tenderness at the surgical site should seek immediate medical attention, then contact an Illinois personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
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