Ethicon Proceed and Prolene Mesh Lawsuit Filed Over Hernia Repair Failure

According to allegations raised in a product liability lawsuit filed against Johnson & Johnson and it’s Ethicon subsidiary, design defects with the Ethicon Proceed and Prolene hernia mesh systems caused a Florida woman to suffer painful injuries after several hernia repairs failed. 

In a complaint (PDF) filed in New Jersey Superior Court on June 20, Cheryl Lecza indicates that the unreasonable risk of painful complications associated with the prodcuts makes the Ethicon multi-layered hernia mesh a defective product.

Lecza indicates that she underwent a hernia repair surgery in May 2009, at which time an Ethicon Proceed patch was implanted in her body. When she suffered a recurrent hernia in March 2010, she was implanted with the Ethicon Prolene Hernia System (PHS). Both products are considered multi-layered hernia mesh, which have been linked to an increasing number of adverse event reports involving hernia repair failures.

In May 2010, Lecza underwent a third surgery; this time a revision surgery to remove the failed Ethicon Proceed mesh, which her surgeon indicated caused extensive bowel adhesions. The Ethicon Prolene mesh also had to be removed in July 2015, after two of her nerves became imbedded in the mesh.

“Defendants did not fully and/or adequately test the configuration of these new, multi-layered Hernia Meshes, that were implanted into Plaintiff,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants continue to market the Proceed without warning of the massive mesh shrinkage or the necessary overlap to prevent early hernia recurrence due to mesh shrinkage.”

The lawsuit presents claims against the manufacturers which include strict product liability, failure to warn, and defective design.

The case joins a growing number of Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuits pending in courts nationwide. In addition to the Ethicon Proceed and Prolene products, hundreds of cases have bee filed over similar problems with Ethicon Physiomesh, which is another multi-layer polypropylene hernia patch that was recently recalled from the market worldwide amid reports of problems.