New Caldera Pelvic Mesh Lawsuit Filed in Los Angeles Court

A Caldera pelvic mesh lawsuit has been filed in California by a plaintiff who alleges the vaginal sling she was implanted with led to serious and ongoing complications. The lawsuit was filed by both the plaintiff who was implanted with the device and her husband, who is claiming he has suffered loss of companionship from his wife as a result of her injuries.

Pain and suffering continue for plaintiff

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on May 3, 2013. According to the complaint, the plaintiff underwent surgery to place a Caldera vaginal T-sling device on July 2, 2007, as treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). After the surgery, Yakupcak allegedly experienced a variety of complications from her vaginal mesh device, including ongoing pain and cramping, painful intercourse, and recurrence of her urinary incontinence.

The plaintiff continues to seek medical treatment for her complications to this day, and has required multiple surgeries in an attempt to correct the medical problems. Sadly, the plaintiff continues to suffer from her complications, which has resulted in both physical and mental suffering since the original procedure. She further stresses in her complaint that she would not have undergone the initial surgery if she had been aware of the vaginal mesh risks at the time.

Defendant fails to warn of potential for complications

The plaintiff’s transvaginal mesh lawyer lists failure to warn as one of the first counts against the defendant Caldera. The plaintiff states in her complaint that although the defendants knew of the risks associated with their vaginal mesh sling, they failed to communicate those risks to the general public or the medical community. As a result, the plaintiff underwent mesh surgery at the advice of her physician, without knowledge that the device could cause ongoing complications after the procedure.

The plaintiff in this Caldera pelvic mesh lawsuit also claims that the maker of the device also failed to adequately manufacture, test, and inspect their product prior to placing it in the stream of commerce. This negligence resulted in the plaintiff suffering serious pain and injury that continues to plague her to this day.

History of vaginal mesh devices

Numerous vaginal mesh devices have been placed on the market in recent years, by manufacturers like C.R. Bard, Johnson & Johnson and Caldera. The mesh is used to hold migrating abdominal organs in place. However, some vaginal mesh devices have been associated with serious complications, including extrusion of the device, ongoing pain, and recurrent infections. In some cases, patients have undergone subsequent surgeries in an effort to remove the device. The follow-up surgery is not always effective in eliminating painful symptoms, however.

In July, 2011, the FDA issued a safety communication regarding vaginal mesh devices, amid numerous reports of serious side effects. The agency stated in that report that between 2008 and 2010, it received more than 2,800 reports of complications associated with vaginal mesh devices. The FDA also asserted that complications were not rare, and could include protrusion, extrusion, pain, infection and bleeding. Since that time, dozens of lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers of vaginal mesh devices by women who claim to have been injured by the products.

In this Caldera pelvic mesh lawsuit complaint, the plaintiffs are seeking general, economic, punitive, exemplary, and special damages for Yakupcak’s injuries. The amount is to be determined at the time of trial.