Bard Ventralight Hernia Patch Lawsuit Alleges Biological Incompatibility with Human Tissue

According to allegations raised in product liability lawsuit filed last week by a North Carolina man, Bard Ventralight ST Hernia Patch products are made with materials that are biologically incompatible with human tissue, causing severe pain and other complications following hernia repair surgery. 

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Julio Nunez in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on September 14, naming C.R. Bard and it’s Bard Davol, Inc. subsidiary as defendants.

Nunez indicates that Bard Ventralight ST mesh was implanted in his body during a ventral hernia repair in August 2014. However, shortly after the procedure, he began experiencing severe abdominal pain, nausea, and fatigue.

Less than a month after receiving the hernia patch, Nunez had to undergo additional surgery to drain an abdominal wall abscess and to have the Ventralight hernia mesh removed. He also had to undergo placement of a wound VAC.

Bard Ventralight is a monofilament lightweight polypropylene mesh, with an absorbable hydrogel barrier. However, the lawsuit indicates that the design was not properly tested for compatibility with humans before it was marketed and distributed to hospitals and surgeons

“The [Bard Ventralight ST hernia patch] was made of materials which are biologically incompatible with human tissue and react negatively and sometimes dangerously with a large number of those on who it is used,” Nunez’s lawsuit states. “Defendant knew or should have known that their Product was unreasonably harmful.”

Nunez’s lawsuit presents claims for negligence, design defect, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, breach of warranty, and violation of consumer protection laws.

The case joins a growing number of hernia mesh lawsuits continue to be filed against manufacturers of various different products introduced in recent years, which have since been found to be the cause of painful and debilitating injuries nationwide.

While most of the cases filed to date have involved Ethicon Physiomesh lawsuits and Atrium C-Qur mesh lawsuits, as lawyers continue to review and evaluate cases for individuals who experienced problems in recent years, additional allegedly defective products are being identified, and the scope of the hernia mesh litigation continues to widen.