Australian Government Issues Apology Over Vaginal Mesh Implants

AUSTRALIA- CitizenTruth.org writes that Australia’s government released a public apology over the pain and complications that many women have experienced as a result of vaginal mesh implants. The implants have caused problems for thousands of women.

Lawsuits are being filed in countries around the world because of the severe pain women have gone through because of these implants. The issue has been referred to as the “biggest medical scandal” in Australian history.

The government’s apology acknowledges the “horrific outcomes” of vaginal mesh implants. The country’s Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, said that the voices of those impacted by vaginal mesh have both been heard and acted on by the government.

An inquiry into the products found that when women complained to their doctors about the pain they experienced after being implanted with surgical mesh, the doctors would dismiss the women’s concerns or would lead those patients to believe that their pain was unique and not a problem typically experienced with the implant. Through the investigation, it came to light that many doctors were either unaware of the problems or were intentionally downplaying the impact of these devices.

Many women say that they suffered for years while their physicians ignored their complaints or led them to believe that they were hypochondriacs. Meanwhile, their mesh implants were eroding, and they were bleeding from problems with these implants.

Data indicate that about 100,000 vaginal mesh implant surgeries are performed annually and that some tens of thousands lead to complications. The serious problems with vaginal mesh cause hundreds of fatalities each year.

Class action lawsuits have been filed in the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia as well as in other parts of the world.

While the apology is a welcomed validation, it does little to explain how government regulatory systems failed to protect women from a dangerous product for so long.