Bard Ventralight And Ethicon Proceed Hernia Mesh Products Both Failed, Lawsuit Claims

According to allegations raised in a lawsuit filed this month against both Ethicon and C.R. Bard, each of the manufacturers sold defective hernia mesh products that failed, resulting in painful and severe complications following hernia repair.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Robert Bray in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island on November 1, indicating that both an Ethicon Proceed Ventral Patch and Bard Ventralight ST Mesh failed, causing him to suffer permanent injuries.

Bray indicates that he underwent a ventral hernia repair procedure in February 2012. At that time, he was implanted with a 4.3 cm x 4.3 cm Proceed Ventral Patch. However, the hernia mesh failed and surgeons removed the patch in April 2017. Several months later, in September 2017, Bray had the Ventralight ST Mesh implanted, which also failed.

The lawsuit indicates the problems with both products were caused by the polypropylene mesh designs, which Bray says have not been shown to improve quality of life for recipients over traditional non-mesh repairs. According to his complaint, the manufacturers also ignored numerous signs of problems with the materials used in mesh products, which have been shown to be problematic in the human body.

“Defendants were fully aware of the dangers defective products they were placing into the stream of commerce posed to their customers, specifically the Mesh Products polypropylene mesh, which has been shown to pose an unreasonable risk of human body inflammation, granuloma formation, foreign body reaction, excessive scar tissue formation and long-term complications,” the lawsuit states. “Despite the abundance of scientific and medical information available relating to the dangerous properties and serious risks of the Mesh Products, Defendants deliberately ignored these dangers and aggressively promoted the Mesh Products polypropylene mesh to healthcare providers and/or directly to consumers.”

The case joins a growing number of similar Ethicon hernia mesh lawsuits and  Bard hernia patch lawsuits pending in courts nationwide.

As lawyer continue to review and file cases in the coming months and years, it is ultimately expected that tens of thousands of hernia mesh lawsuits will eventually be filed against various different companies by individuals who received various polypropylene products in recent years.