A legal battle involving hundreds of Australian women has commenced in Sydney’s Federal Court today. More than 700 women have joined the class action against Johnson & Johnson Medical Australia and subsidiary companies Ethicon Inc and Ethicon Sarl, over their vaginal mesh implants used in supposedly routine pelvic floor surgery.
The women are seeking damages for “life-altering complications” caused by the implants. Shockingly, the mesh is being blamed for internal organ injuries as well as incontinence and chronic pain, which has left some women unable to have sex .
“The complications that Australian women are suffering include the mesh or tape eroding through, and into, surrounding tissue and organs, as well as incontinence, infection and chronic pain,” legal representative Rebecca Jancauskas from Shine Lawyers said today.
“Many now live in excruciating pain, suffering terrible side effects that impact all aspects of their lives.”
“This class action is about righting the wrong against these women, who will suffer pain and complications for the rest of their lives.”
Jancauskas said it’s thought the implants have been used to treat the pelvic floors of a whopping 8,000 Australian women.
Senator Derryn Hinch described it as “the biggest medical scandal for Australian women since thalidomide,” earlier this year.
Take 5 magazine spoke to Lynda Garlinge , 65, who says she had a mesh implant fitted without her consent after incontinence issues. She says “nearly a decade of my life was destroyed by pain.”
“It was supposed stop any leaks, but it turned out the mesh could cause life-ruining side effects like intense pain, infections, bleeding and painful sex, not to mention even worse incontinence and constipation,” she told the publication.
The Australian class action comes after more than 100,000 women started legal action in the US. The UK and Canada has also seen similar moves.
Hearings are expected to run for about six months.
More as we get it.
