Physiomesh Lawsuit Hits Johnson & Johnson

An Alabama man is suing Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon Inc. over a type of hernia mesh called Physiomesh that he alleges is defective.

Plaintiff Bill T. says he suffered severe and permanent physical injuries after Physiomesh was implanted into his body. He alleges that the maker of Physiomesh, Ethicon, and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, were aware of the defects in the product, but failed to warn consumers and doctors.

According to the Physiomesh lawsuit, the plaintiff had the Physiomesh implanted to repair a hernia in 2013. The plaintiff says he suffered complications from the mesh and had to undergo additional more invasive medical treatments. He alleges that he is still in pain from the Physiomesh and will suffer physical and mental pain because of the mesh.

Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson were aware that Physiomesh was defective and not suited for use as a hernia mesh, alleges the lawsuit.

hernia mesh lawsuit filed by injured manFurther, says the plaintiff, the companies failed to warn doctors and their patients of the following unreasonable risks of using the Physiomesh mesh: chronic pain; recurrence of hernia; foreign body response; rejection; infection; inadequate or failure of incorporation/ingrowth; migration; scarification; deformation of mesh; improper wound healing; excessive and chronic inflammation; adhesions to internal organs; erosion; abscess; fistula formation; granulomatous response; seroma formation; nerve damage; tissue damage; other complications; and/or death.

Physiomesh is defectively designed, according to the Physiomesh lawsuit. It consists of five layers – a design not used by any other hernia mesh on the market. Additionally, rather than preventing adhesion and inflammation, as touted by the manufacturers, Physiomesh’s layers prevent it from incorporating into the body.

The Physiomesh lawsuit says that when the mesh fails to incorporate into the patient’s body, the results are painful, including inflammation, chronic foreign body response, and migration. Further, “when affixed to the body’s tissue, the impermeable multi-layer coating of the Physiomesh prevents fluid escape, which leads to seroma formation, and which in turn can cause infection, abscess formation, and other complications,” alleges the plaintiff.

The plaintiff claims that Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon issued an “Urgent: Field Safety Notice” related to Physiomesh in 2016. According to the notice, hospitals and medical providers were advised of a voluntary recall of the product due to high recurrence/reoperation rates. Physiomesh was removed from the shelves and not sold after the notice in 2016; however, says the Physiomesh lawsuit, the companies failed to issue a nationwide recall.

The makers of the mesh knew or should have known of these problems, says the Physiomesh lawsuit. But they failed to warn the plaintiff or his doctor. Because the Physiomesh failed to implant properly in the plaintiff, he was injured and had to undergo additional medical treatment.

Hernia mesh failure can occur up to five years after it is implanted into the body. If you or a loved one were implanted with Physiomesh and have suffered complications, the attorneys at McDonald Worley can help. Contact them today for a FREE case evaluation.

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