A multidistrict litigation (MDL) lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island regarding the Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch products. In December 2005, at the direction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) C.R. Bard and Davol, the parent company and manufacturer, announced the recall of their large and extra large varieties of their surgically implanted hernia repair patches. These patches were known as the Composix Kugel Mesh Patch. The claim was that both C.R. Bard and Davol chose not to alert patients and physicians about problems with the Kugel mesh hernia patch. According to the lawsuit, more than 75,000 of these patches were sold. It is now known that the patches are defective and have caused permanent and serious injuries to implant patients, some even resulting in death.
At first, both manufacturers denied that the patches were defective. However, later Davol did tests that showed that the product defects were to blame for the problems to patients. Davol issued a hernia patch recall for the extra-large model of the Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch in December 2005. There were two more recalls following in 2006 and 2007.
A hernia occurs when the patient’s stomach muscles become weakened and as such are unable to properly contain the intestines. This can lead to a rupture in the muscle wall causing the intestines to protrude. The Composix Kugel Mesh Patch was designed as a model to treat hernias caused by thinning or stretching of scar tissue that would form after a hernia surgery. A small incision would be made and the mesh would be inserted into the abdomen through the opening and then opens surrounding the defective area with the mesh.
Because of the defect in design and the manufacture of this product, the Composix Kugel Mesh Patch was known to break under stress of placement of the product in the intra-abdominal space. The product came along with something that is known as the “memory recoil ring” that surrounds the mesh. It has occurred that the memory coils ring would break, come lose and cause serious injuries as it travels through the body. Some of the injuries reported are intestinal perforations, ring migration through the abdominal wall, abscesses, bowel obstructions and sepsis.
All of these conditions are very serious and can result in serious illness and death. A bowel obstruction is a blockage or practical blockage of the intestine. Because there were so many reports that the Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch was failing, its manufacturers began receiving reports of broken patches. Most of the complaints were about breakages occurring in the memory coil rings.
Many lawsuits have been filed against Davol and its parent company C.R. Bard, Inc. The gist of the lawsuits is that the manufacturing and design of the Kugel Hernia Mesh Patch were done negligently and that these defendants were aware of the problems. The allegations also charged both Davol and C.R. Bard with the deceptive trade practices, fraud, wrongful death, negligence and product liability because of the defect and the concealment of the problems.
If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch product, please call us for an immediate free consultation.
Robert Kreisman of Kreisman Law Offices has been handling medical device defect injury cases. Kreisman Law Offices has prevailed in trials and settlements in Chicago, Illinois and surrounding communities and has successfully resolved cases for those injured in medical device defect cases.
With our 40 years of experience in trying and settling medical device defect cases, Kreisman Law Offices provides the best possible services to our clients and have achieved unsurpassed results. Our service is unmatched. Please call us 24 hours a day at 312.346.0045 or toll free 800.583.8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or complete a contact form online. There is no charge for a consultation that will include an evaluation of your case, assessment of damages such as lost income, lost wages, medical and hospital bills, past and future pain and suffering, loss of normal life and wrongful death.