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May 14, 2012 ~ The syndicated show, America Now, ran a story last week on Teresa Sawyer of TVTNo.org and also the subject of a Patient Profile in MDND.
Here is our story that ran last August.
In the video story, Routine Surgery Dangerous for Women, Sawyer told reporter Craig Thomas (from WTOL) they they almost lost their dream house through bankruptcy due to the cost of the needed surgeries to remove TVT mesh, a bladder lift implanted to treat incontinence.
They were told it would be a routine procedure, four surgeries ago, and they were told little else.
The Sawyers, David and Teresa, live near Toledo, Ohio and Teresa told the reporter she was not told about the potential for mesh complications.
Dr. M. Tom Margolis, in a Skype interview, told the reporter that the erosion of mesh causes an “insanely high complication rate” at least 15.6 percent according to one study, and he says 14 years ago he began rejecting the sales pitch from medical device reps. He told the viewers that inserting mesh transvaginally violates a core tenant of surgery because the vagina is not a sterile environment and introduces bacteria.
The Sawyers have become active in helping other patients and have established www.TVTNO.org which will offer some guidance and resources for those newly diagnosed.
This is the second national story to be aired in two weeks with CTV News, Canadian television running one story and two follow-ups after a huge viewer response. There are only five comments on the America Now site and one is from Teresa promoting tvtno.org, another from a woman who had no problems with her sling.
Comments can be logged following the print story that appears under the video piece.
Learn More:
America Now report: "Routine Surgery Dangerous for Women," Reporter: Craig Thomas of WTOL- TV, Toledo Ohio
MDND- Patient Profile- Teresa Sawyer
The Sawyers Website-
MDND interviews Dr. M. Tom Margolis - Get the Mesh Out!
CTV News - Canadian Class Action, April 17, 2012
