British Parliament Members Face Mesh-Injured

British Parliament

Mesh Medical Device News Desk, October 11, 2017 ~ While the U.S. media is focused on crazed gunman and crazed media moguls, mesh campaigners in the United Kingdom have made some real headway in making public the issue of polypropylene mesh and the thousands it has injured.

U.S. readers have a chance to make a difference and weigh in.

On Wednesday, October 18th, Parliament will debate the controversial vaginal mesh implants, their safety and risks of harm.

Thousands of women in Britain say it wrecked their lives. Some report they felt suicidal from the pain and denial from doctors.

Ministers are concerned there is little evidence to support those claims, reports the Daily Mail.

Sling The Mesh rally at Parliament, July 18, 2017, CambTimes

The scandal has been compared to thalidomide, the drug taken by pregnant women that led to birth defects in their children. An estimated 800 British women have sued mesh makers. They want to follow Scotland's lead and ban mesh implants.

Kath Sansom, Sling the Mesh Campaign

Kath Sansom of Sling the Mesh campaign tweeted: 'Not enough words to thank you for securing a debate on behalf of so many women whose lives have been devastated by #mesh.'

Julie Gilsenan, 49, from Liverpool, also tweeted: "Emotional is not the word! Let our voices be heard...we will NOT suffer in silence #banmesh."

The debate will be heard October 18, Wednesday.
Campaigners hope to dispel the belief that complication rate is only 1 to 3 percent after
a polypropylene mesh implant used to treat incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse.

The same polypropylene is used to make mesh used to treat hernias.

Emma Hardy MP secured the debate.

She tweeted :” After meeting with women from my constituency regarding @MeshCampaign I’m delighted to have secured a debate on this issue."

This comes on the heels of a three-year government report released in July (here) that concluded the use of mesh to treat incontinence and prolapse is a safe option for women.

According to Sling the Mesh campaigners, there have been 126,000 women fitting in England with polypropylene mesh implants in the last ten years.

Tom Joyce, a professor of orthopaedic enginnering at Newcastle University, tells Camb Times that is similar concerns existed over a car, it would have been taken off the market. Joyce says the country needs a medical devices registry so complications can be tracked and regulators can see sooner rather than later if a device is failing.

With no place to report failed medical devices in the UK there is no way to know how they are performing.

Joyce points to the U.S. MAUDE (Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience) database as an example of one that is purported to track adverse events, as they are called. MND has reported on the many failures of MAUDE, such as failing to report complications and sending them to manufacturers rather than directly to the FDA. See MND story here and here.

Jackie Doyle Price, MP Conservative Party

HEAR YOUR VOICE

Even if you do not live in Britain, you can contribute by writing to Jackie Doyle Price, the UK health minister, who believes at this time, she says there is not enough evidence to suspend mesh.

Include your full name, town, county and country where you live. Include the type of mesh you were implanted with and what was the condition it was used to treat ie hernia, incon

Campaigners from Sling The Mesh, July 18, 2017, Cambstimes.co.uk

tinence or prolapse.

Mesh campaigner, Kath Sansom is asking for this to make it very clear to Jackie that all mesh is a risk . Apparently she doesn't understand the complexities of the situation.

Include year in, when you noticed problems and when you realized mesh was the cause.

Then under that say what mesh has done to your life. Try to keep it concise, but be honest.

Include before and after photos or any other images you think support your email.

Kath will package this all up to send to Ms Doyle Price.

WRITE TO : Please email slingthemesh@gmail.com.

LEARN MORE:

Mesh News Desk, December 2016, FDA Pelvic Mesh Data, Are Thousands of Deaths Not Being Reported?
https://www.meshmedicaldevicenewsdesk.com/fda-pelvic-mesh-data-thousands-deaths-not-reported/

MND, July 2017, Is UK Mesh Report a Whitewash?
https://www.meshmedicaldevicenewsdesk.com/uk-mesh-report-whitewash/