Bard Composix Kugel Hernia Mesh Lawsuit Claims Defective Implant Required Bowel Resection

Thousands of similar hernia mesh failure lawsuits have been filed against Bard, Covidien and other manufacturers, alleging defective implants caused adhesions, infections, bowel injuries and the need for additional surgery.

A New York woman has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging her Bard Composix Kugel hernia mesh became densely adhered to her intestines, forcing surgeons to remove eight inches of her small bowel.

The complaint (PDF) was originally filed by Maria Giulianicanal in New York state court in late April, and was removed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on July 17. It names C.R. Bard Inc., Davol Inc. and their parent company, Becton, Dickinson and Company as the defendants.

According to the complaint, Giulianicanal received the Bard Composix Kugel mesh during a hernia repair procedure. Rather than safely reinforcing the weakened abdominal tissue, she claims the implant failed and caused dense adhesions to form between the mesh and her intestines.

Adhesions are bands of internal scar tissue that can bind organs and surrounding tissues together, potentially causing severe pain, bowel obstruction and tissue damage while making surgical removal of the mesh far more difficult.

The complications allegedly required another operation, during which surgeons were forced to remove approximately eight inches of her small intestine. Giulianicanal claims the mesh failure left her with serious and permanent injuries, ongoing pain and the need for additional medical care.

Bard Hernia Mesh Risks

The Bard Composix Kugel is a synthetic hernia repair implant designed to reinforce weakened abdominal tissue and reduce the risk of a hernia returning. The device was cleared for sale in 1996 through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 510(k) process, which allows manufacturers to market certain medical devices without conducting the same clinical testing required for entirely new products.

However, thousands of hernia mesh lawsuits have been filed against Bard and other manufacturers alleging that the products contain design and material defects that can cause the mesh to shrink, migrate, buckle, break apart or adhere to nearby organs and tissue.

The claims have involved several Bard products, including the Composix Kugel, Ventralex, Ventralight, PerFix Plug and 3DMax mesh systems.

Hernia Mesh Failure Allegations

The lawsuit indicates Giulianicanal received a Composix Kugel hernia mesh implant during a prior hernia repair procedure. In September 2025, she noticed a bulge developing in her abdomen, which she claims was a sign that the hernia had returned and the mesh was no longer functioning as intended.

Two months later, Giulianicanal underwent another surgery to remove the failed implant and repair the affected area. During the procedure, healthcare providers allegedly discovered dense adhesions binding the mesh to her small intestine and surrounding tissue.

Because the mesh could not be safely separated from the affected organs, surgeons were forced to perform a small bowel resection and remove her appendix. The lawsuit claims these complications resulted directly from the failure of the Composix Kugel mesh.

“Plaintiff lost approximately eight inches of intestines as a result of the Composix Kugel mesh complications. Plaintiff continues to suffer from bowel dysfunction, pain and emotional distress.”

– Maria Giulianicanal v. C.R. Bard Inc. et al.

Giulianicanal argues that the Composix Kugel hernia mesh was defectively designed and unreasonably dangerous for its intended use.

The filing raises allegations of design defect, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, negligence and breach of warranty. It seeks compensatory and punitive damages for severe physical injuries, permanent loss of bowel function, pain, suffering, emotional distress, medical expenses and future medical care needs.

Hernia Mesh Lawsuits

Giulianicanal’s complaint joins more than 25,000 hernia mesh lawsuits filed against C.R. Bard over implants that allegedly degraded, migrated, contracted or became attached to surrounding organs after surgery. Plaintiffs claim the company failed to adequately test its polypropylene mesh designs and did not provide surgeons or patients with sufficient warnings about the risk of painful complications and additional operations.

In October 2025, Bard reached a hernia mesh settlement intended to resolve a substantial portion of the pending litigation. However, the agreement did not prevent new lawsuits from being filed by patients whose complications were diagnosed later or whose implants only recently began to fail, sometimes years after the original hernia repair.

Bard is not the only manufacturer facing similar allegations. Medtronic’s Covidien unit faces more than 2,400 lawsuits involving several of its hernia mesh products, with plaintiffs raising comparable claims involving adhesions, infections, bowel injuries, hernia recurrence and revision surgery.

The federal Covidien cases have been centralized in the District of Massachusetts before U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris, where the first bellwether trial is underway. The outcome is expected to provide both sides with an early indication of how juries may respond to evidence and arguments that could be repeated throughout the remaining litigation.

Sign up for more legal news that could affect you or your family.