Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling Side Effects. The Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling is a medical device manufactured to surgically treat female stress urinary incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence affects about 13 million people, mostly women. The embarrassing loss of bladder control caused by this condition can have a huge impact on a patient’s quality of life.
The Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling transobturator device is an artificial structure that is designed to replace eroded or weakened muscles in the urethra. A vaginal sling is essentially a hammock for the vaginal wall, which is secured under the bladder to help support it.
The intention is to reinforce the muscles that control the flow of urine from the body.The vaginal sling technique has been around for about 100 years, and is considered the gold standard” in stress urinary incontinence treatment. Generally, the minimally invasive treatment can be done on an outpatient basis.
But the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling did not work as intended. Many women have had adverse reactions to the device including impaired healing, vaginal extrusion and urinary tract erosion that manifested itself in extreme vaginal pain, vaginal discharge, and infections. The non woven design of the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling blocked much needed oxygen and nutrients while woven vaginal slings produced by other companies allow oxygen and nutrients to pass through.
ObTape Vaginal Sling Removed from Market
Not long after it was introduced, patients with the Mentor ObTape began to exhibit serious complications, including vaginal extrusion and urinary tract erosion, extreme vaginal pain, vaginal discharge, and infections. A study published in the October 2006 Journal of Urology discussed the widespread nature of the injuries caused by the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling.
The study involved 67 women who had been implanted with the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling. Of those, more than 13 percent developed vaginal extrusions. Another eight developed a chronic vaginal discharge, and one patient developed an abscess of the left thigh that tracked to the incision site. The study compared these patients to 56 others who had received another brand of vaginal sling. None of those patients experienced the complications seen with the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling.
Within 3 years of the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling going on the market in 2003 the defective medical device was removed. The impact the OB Tape Vaginal Sling had on the lives of those women who were experienced complications was devastating as many experienced crippling pain and permanent scarring (vaginal erosion) damage from the procedures involved in the insertion and necessary removal of the device. The device failed to treat the female urinary stress incontinence in many women that it was implanted in.
Need Legal Help Regarding Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling
If you or a loved one has had the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling implanted and had complication you may be entitled to compensation. Please contact our experienced defective medical device attorneys for a free Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling lawsuit case review by calling 1-800-YOURLAWYER or by filling out the form to the right.
