1 in 15 women have vaginal mesh devices removed

NHS figures obtained by The Guardian have revealed that thousands of women have undergone surgery to have vaginal mesh implants removed.

The figures show that around one in 15 women fitted with trans-vaginal tape (TVT) implants have had the device removed due to complications. Between 2006 and 2016, over 75,000 women had the implants fitted, but during the same period over 4,900 women (6.5%) had the implant removed.

TVT implants are the most common type for treating pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence following childbirth. However, 44,000 women were also treated with a second type of mesh called transobturator tape (TVT-O), The Guardian reported.

Johnson & Johnson is a well-known producer of the devices. The company’s subsidiary Ethicon has been taken to court over the mesh implants, with thousands of women in Australia claiming that the devices have ruined their lives.

The Guardian spoke to Carl Heneghan, a professor at the University of Oxford. Heneghan told The Guardian that the “very high rates of removal…are only likely to get worse. It only suggests that one in 15 women will need a removal at some point”.

A consultant urogynaecological surgeon at University College Hospital, London, told The Guardian that the high number of removal procedures was a “scandal”.

In response to the Mesh Oversight Group report released by the NHS, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) released a statement saying: “Patient safety is our highest priority and we sympathise with women who have suffered complications after surgery.

We are committed to helping address the serious concerns raised by some patients. We have undertaken work to assess the findings of studies undertaken by the clinical community over many years, as well as considering the feedback from all sources in that time.

What we continue to see is that evidence supports the use of these devices in the UK for treatment of the distressing conditions of incontinence and organ prolapse in appropriate circumstances. This is supported by the greater proportion of the clinical community and patients.

In common with other medical device regulators worldwide, none of whom have removed these devices from the market, we are not aware of a robust body of evidence which would lead to the conclusion these devices are unsafe if used as intended.

We actively encourage patients and healthcare professionals to report complications associated with these implants through the Yellow Card Scheme.”