What Are the Symptoms of Mesh Erosion?

Mesh erosion occurs when implanted surgical mesh devices break down or push through tissue barriers, causing various physical symptoms.

These symptoms can appear months or even years after your initial surgery, with severity varying among patients.

Learning more about these warning signs helps you seek timely medical care and protect your health.

Pelvic Pain and Discomfort

Persistent chronic pelvic pain differs from normal post-surgical discomfort and often worsens with movement or sitting.

You might experience sharp, burning sensations that weren’t present immediately after prolapse surgery.

Studies show pelvic floor pain affects up to 40% of patients after mesh placement.

This pain may radiate to your lower back, hips, or thighs, disrupting daily activities and indicating potential mesh shrinkage.

Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding and Discharge

Unusual bleeding patterns between periods and foul-smelling discharge often indicate infection in the affected area.

Blood-tinged discharge persisting beyond normal healing timeframes requires immediate attention.

These symptoms may occur within weeks or months of mesh surgery, though some patients report onset years later as mesh erosion led to tissue breakdown.

Visible Mesh Exposure

Synthetic meshes can protrude through vaginal walls, creating a rough texture you might feel during self-examination.

The FDA received 2,874 reports of mesh complications from 2008-2010, with vaginal exposure being most common.

If you notice any foreign material or unusual texture, contact your healthcare provider immediately for evaluation of potential mesh repair needs.

Mesh erosion can affect nearby organs and systems, particularly the bladder and bowel.

These complications often develop gradually and may be mistakenly attributed to other conditions.

FDA reports indicate urinary problems rank among the most frequent complications related to mesh sling placement, requiring prompt medical attention.

Bladder Control Issues

Between 2.3% and 6.1% of women require intervention for mesh-related bladder complications.

You may experience urinary incontinence patterns ranging from stress incontinence to complete loss of bladder control, often resulting in voiding dysfunction.

Up to 13% of patients develop recurring UTIs linked to mesh erosion.

Many women also report difficulty emptying their bladder completely, leading to frequent bathroom visits and a significant decrease in patient quality of life.

Painful Urination and Blood in Urine

Burning sensations during urination and hematuria represent common symptoms of mesh-related bladder complications, including urethral erosion.

Blood in your urine often indicates damaged tissue from mesh erosion affecting blood vessels in the area.

Symptoms may persist despite antibiotic treatment, signaling the need for further evaluation and possible surgical removal of the mesh.

Bowel Movement Difficulties

Mesh complications can lead to bowel symptoms including constipation and painful bowel movements affecting surrounding tissues.

Severe cases may result in fecal incontinence.

Patients report chronic abdominal pain, intestinal obstruction, and pressure feelings.

These symptoms considerably impact quality of life and daily activities.

Mesh erosion impacts intimate relationships and sexual health in profound ways.

These symptoms are common but often underreported due to embarrassment or misconceptions about normalcy after surgical procedures.

Research shows women’s lives have been irreversibly altered by mesh complications, particularly affecting quality of life and relationships.

Pain During Intercourse

Dyspareunia has been reported at rates up to 38% following transvaginal mesh placement using the vaginal approach.

This pain differs from normal post-surgical discomfort, often presenting as sharp, burning sensations during intimate moments.

Studies show male partners report pain scores of 8 out of 10 due to exposed mesh.

The psychological impact extends beyond physical pain, straining relationships and affecting emotional well-being, often requiring intervention to relieve pain.

Decreased Sexual Sensation

Mesh erosion can damage nearby nerves, resulting in numbness or reduced sensitivity in healthy tissue.

Women report feeling like a “shadow” of their former selves.

Recovery of sexual function remains uncertain even after mesh excision procedures.

Partner-Reported Symptoms

Partners may experience scratching or cutting sensations from exposed mesh.

These partner observations often lead to a diagnosis when women hesitate to discuss symptoms.

Mesh complications impact not just sexual activity but relationship quality, particularly loss of intimacy.

Open communication between partners becomes vital for identifying and addressing these issues related to pelvic organ prolapse pop.

Mesh erosion can cause whole-body symptoms beyond the immediate implant area.

These systemic effects often confuse diagnosis as they may seem unrelated to your original female pelvic reconstructive surgery.

Pain, erosion, infection, bowel complications and even immune disorders have been linked to mesh placement.

Chronic Fatigue and Weakness

Your body’s inflammatory response to foreign material can lead to persistent exhaustion.

Inflammation occurs because the mesh is a foreign body that activates an immune response.

Mesh erosion symptoms can include, but are not limited to:

• Muscle weakness;
• Arthralgia;
• Chronic fatigue; and
• Sleep disorders.

This energy depletion affects daily activities, making routine tasks challenging, particularly when remaining mesh continues to cause inflammation.

Recurring Infections

Mesh-related infections may present as pelvic abscess, fistulas, or discharging sinus.

Recurrent UTIs are among the most common complications of mesh placement.

Your body struggles to fight these persistent infections, which often resist standard antibiotic treatment.

Some patients develop systemic infections requiring hospitalization, and topical treatments like estrogen cream may be prescribed to improve tissue healing.

Inflammatory Responses

Autoimmune-like symptoms may develop, including (but not limited to):

• Fever patterns
• Chills
• Joint pain
• Muscle aches

Studies show markers of systemic inflammation increase following mesh implantation.

These inflammatory responses can mimic other conditions, making accurate diagnosis difficult.

Some women report developing new sensitivities or allergic reactions after mesh placement, contributing to risk factors for ongoing complications.

Identifying symptoms requiring immediate medical attention versus those for scheduled appointments is important for your safety.

Sepsis is a life-threatening emergency requiring rapid diagnosis and treatment.

Document all symptoms for both medical treatment and potential legal action with TruLaw, especially if incomplete removal occurred during previous surgeries.

Severe Infection Indicators

High fever with septic shock has mortality rates of 60% without prompt treatment.

Watch for spreading redness, warmth, or rapid symptom progression in the pelvic region.

Fever, chills, and confusion indicate a systemic infection that requires hospitalization and possible communication with your surgical team regarding safety concerns.

Organ Perforation Signs

Sudden severe abdominal pain intensified by movement indicates possible perforation.

Internal bleeding signs include shortness of breath and rapid heart rate.

Bowel perforation can release waste into your body, causing life-threatening sepsis.

These symptoms demand emergency surgery within hours and may result in recurrent prolapse if not properly addressed.

When to Seek Immediate Care

Call 911 if you experience severe abdominal pain, high fever, or signs of shock.

Inform emergency staff about your mesh implant for proper diagnosis.

X-rays and CT scans can detect perforations requiring emergency surgery (and potentially complete removal of your mesh implant).

Keep medical records documenting your mesh complications for healthcare providers and potential legal claims.

Our Transvaginal Mesh attorney at TruLaw is dedicated to supporting clients through the process of filing a Transvaginal Mesh lawsuit.

With extensive experience in product liability cases, Jessica Paluch-Hoerman and our partner law firms work with litigation leaders and medical experts to prove how defective mesh implants caused you harm.

TruLaw focuses on securing compensation for medical expenses, revision surgeries, pain and suffering, lost income, and other damages resulting from your transvaginal mesh injuries.

We understand the physical and emotional toll that Transvaginal Mesh complications have on your life and provide the personalized guidance you need when seeking justice.

Meet the Lead Transvaginal Mesh Attorney at TruLaw

Meet our lead Transvaginal Mesh attorney:

• Jessica Paluch-Hoerman: As founder and managing attorney of TruLaw, Jessica brings her experience in product liability and personal injury to her client-centered approach by prioritizing open communication and personalized attention with her clients. Through TruLaw and partner law firms, Jessica has helped collect over $3 billion on behalf of injured individuals across all 50 states through verdicts and negotiated settlements.

How much does hiring a Transvaginal Mesh lawyer from TruLaw cost?

At TruLaw, we believe financial concerns should never stand in the way of justice.

That’s why we operate on a contingency fee basis—with this approach, you only pay legal fees after you’ve been awarded compensation for your injuries.

If you or a loved one experienced pain, bleeding, infection, organ perforation, mesh erosion, or other complications from transvaginal mesh implants, you may be eligible to seek compensation.

Contact TruLaw using the chat on this page to receive an instant case evaluation and determine whether you qualify to join others in filing a Transvaginal Mesh lawsuit today.

Transvaginal mesh lawsuits are being filed by women across the country who suffered serious complications from pelvic prolapse mesh implants used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.

TruLaw is currently accepting clients for the Transvaginal Mesh lawsuit.

A few reasons to choose TruLaw for your Transvaginal Mesh lawsuit include:

• If We Don’t Win, You Don’t Pay: The Transvaginal Mesh lawyers at TruLaw and our partner firms operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning we only get paid if you win.
• Expertise: We have decades of experience handling product liability cases similar to the Transvaginal Mesh lawsuit.
• Successful Track Record: TruLaw and our partner law firms have helped our clients recover billions of dollars in compensation through verdicts and negotiated settlements.

If you or a loved one suffered pain, infection, bleeding, organ damage, or other complications after receiving a transvaginal mesh implant, you may be eligible to seek compensation.

Contact TruLaw using the chat on this page to receive an instant case evaluation that can determine if you qualify for the Transvaginal Mesh lawsuit today.