Scottish Doctors Didn't Warn Women About Transvaginal Mesh Complications

In November, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well Being, Alex Neil, ordered National Health Services (NHS) officials to rewrite consent forms given to women prior to transvaginal mesh (TVM) surgery; however, it appears that his order was already established four years ago by the Public Services Ombudsman (PSO) – and NHS hospitals failed to comply.

Nobody would willingly go ahead and take those risks.

In 2009, the PSO ordered NHS Glasgow to review consent processes for women considering treatment with a transvaginal mesh (TVM) implant prior to surgery. The reviews would ensure that women were fully informed on the implants and their complications before undergoing the procedure. For previous patients, the review would require physicians to apologize for not providing full details on the implants, while prospective patients would be provided with information on alternatives to surgery, helpful leaflets, and time to fully understand the risks and benefits of mesh implants prior to consenting to the surgery.

It appears that the NHS hospitals didn’t listen to the ombudsman’s orders, though. According to data from a study performed by the Southern General’s doctors in 2010, 54 percent of women gave consent on the day of their TVM surgery, and only 12 percent were provided with a leaflet prior to the procedure. In addition, more than 300 women recently approached the Scottish publication Sunday Mail with stories about “how their lives had been destroyed by the implants.”

On November 10, 2013, Scotland’s Minister of Health and Well Being, Alex Neil, met with some of the women who shared their stories with the Sunday Mail. Following the meeting, Neil made his order that NHS officials finish and submit rewritten consent forms by the end of the month.

“After the 2009 findings, an alert should have gone to every health board in Scotland,” a campaigner for TVM complication awareness said. “If women were given full facts about what can happen when mesh goes wrong, nobody would willingly go ahead and take those risks.”

At least 300 women injured by TVM are being represented by a Scottish attorney who believes thousands of additional patients are eligible to take legal action, regardless of whether they experienced any complications with their implant. In court, the attorney reportedly plans to apply a law known as the Damages Asbestos-Related Conditions Scotland Act to women who received TVM implants. Under the Act, workers exposed to asbestos can seek compensation even if they have not experienced any related injuries yet. Similar to asbestos-related diseases, complications with TVM may not be noticeable for years, he said.

“The very fact that every woman who has had a mesh implant will be distressed and anxious that those same injuries may happen to them means they have a claim,” the attorney said.