# A Female Surgical Nightmare - or POP goes the weasels.



## Ho Ho Tai (Jun 15, 2012)

This article appeared recently in "In These Times". It is possible that some of the women here may suffer from the condition discussed and may be considering this solution. Although I did work in the medical device field for ten years, I have no expertise in topic of this article. I post it as cautionary only. 

I can only hope that those of you who have carried the chalice of life will never be treated so shabbily.

A Female Surgical Nightmare 

How a problematic medical device has escaped FDA regulation.
BY LINDSAY BEYERSTEIN

Years of activism have made womens health a topic of everyday conversation. The mechanics of mammograms and the pros and cons of cervical cancer vaccines are familiar, but one common health problem that affects millions of women remains virtually unknown.

Time, gravity and childbirth can weaken a womans pelvic floor muscles and stretch out the ligaments that hold up her uterus, bladder and/or bowel, causing the organs to sag and bulge into the vaginaor even protrude from ita disorder known as pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Up to half of all women will develop some degree of prolapse, and the diagnosis will become more common as the Baby Boomers age. One in 10 women suffering from prolapse will eventually need surgery to correct it, and every year about 300,000 women undergo prolapse surgery.

(article continued at link, above)


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## moore2me (Jun 16, 2012)

Ho Ho Tai,

I am very familiar with this mesh repair disaster kit. One of my aunts had this surgical repair a few years ago and really bad things are happening as a result of it. The mesh was inserted by a doc who should have known better than to use the stuff. Not long after the repair, she started having severe pain in her lower abdomen. Then she started getting urinary infections. Then she started having bowel problems. She started complaining so much & loudly most of us thought she was trying to get attention thru Munchausens. She made about 3 or 4 trips to the hospital ER via ambulance due to severe intestinal cramps and pain in her pelvic area. She lived alone and was afraid she was going to die each night she had a bad attack.

To make a long, sad story short, it turn out that the trouble was caused by the mesh patch. A section of her bowels had attached and grown into the mesh so bowel peristalsis was painful and sometimes all the bowel did was "writhe" and twist in the mesh. Part of the other nearby structures including the bladder had also grown into the mesh and was causing recurrent bladder infections and painful urination. The infection also went into her kidneys. *The doc that finally diagnosed what was going on could not believe they put that mesh patch into her after the warnings were already being issued. 
*
*The patch cannot be taken out now because two reasons.** One is in her advanced age she has acquired bad heart valves. Her heart is too poor to undergo general surgery*. They are afraid her heart (and she) will not survive an operation to repair her pelvic damage. This could very well happen because her brother died on the operating table during a heart repair surgery at the age she is now. 
*
The second reason is that the repair to her pelvic area is just too complicated and requires more surgery than she can abide.* So, she is just being treated by putting out each little fire as the symptoms recur. The last doctor is also kind enough to give her medications for pain relief, etc.

*So, what's left that can be done? Lawsuit? Big deal* - this wonderful woman will probably not live long enough to see any money from a lawsuit. She is a retired RN and knows full well the score on what is happening. I talk to her several times a week and she often is plagued by new torments from this thing.
*
Why am I writing this story - to warn women just as Ho Ho Tai has that this thing is really bad juju and bad medicine in the manner it was used on my aunt. Beware.*

On the other hand, I have another acquaintance that has been healed from insertion of a similar patch in his abdominal area. He had an open wound that would not heal. The patch allowed his skin to close over the wound. Every time I ask his wife how he is getting along, she says he is doing great


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## ConnieLynn (Sep 3, 2012)

Ho Ho Tai - Thanks for sharing.

I've had a prolapse issue for years, but it has recently become more severe, so I'm starting to investigate surgery (without the mesh). 

Can any of the ladies out there who've had the surgery provide feedback about the recovery? I live on the second floor, up a tall set of stairs, so I'm wondering if that would be an issue. Also, curious if anyone was told by doc that they needed to lose weight before having the procedure?


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## CaAggieGirl (Sep 7, 2012)

I work for a women's medical group and one of our doctors has begun doing the bladder lift (idk if that is the correct term for it) with Botox. It's an hour long outpatient procedure you have done about once a year instead of the surgery. For those of you who are considering the surgery, bu are not sure, might want to check it out.

(while I work for a medical group. Have no formal medical knowledge or training. Please consult a medical professional for more information) :blush:


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