surgeons perform pelvic organ prolapse surgery

Australia Bans Use of Vaginal Mesh Implants for Prolapse

An Australian watchdog has banned the use of controversial vaginal mesh implants for prolapse after a review found “the benefits do not outweigh the risks these products pose to patients”. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has decided to remove the use of mesh products in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and single incision mini-slings which is used to treat urinary incontinence. This move follows the news that NICE, the health watchdog in the UK, will recommend that mesh should be banned as a routine treatment for prolapse, a condition when organs such as the vagina, uterus or bowel fall down or slip out of place. The draft guidance, seen by Sky News and due to be published next month, states that mesh implants for prolapse should now only be used for research purposes. It does not affect the use of mesh for incontinence which accounts for the majority of operations. Read more.

Source: Sky News, November 29, 2017

Women Damaged by Surgical Mesh to Treat Incontinence Are Furious at Report

Women damaged by surgical mesh used to treat post-childbirth incontinence have reacted with fury to a Government report investigating the problem. At least 7,800 women say they’ve suffered lacerations and nerve damage because the mesh has broken into tiny fragments. The report, which is unpublished but has been seen by Good Health, is the result of a three-year investigation by NHS England. It confirms that many more women have complained of injuries than previously suggested and calls for a helpline to support victims. But it did not look at the safety of the mesh and rejects calls for a ban. Instead, it says hospitals should ensure that surgeons be trained to implant it; at the moment any gynaecologist can perform the procedure. Read more.

Source: Daily Mail, July 25, 2017

Surgeries for Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)

sling surgery for stress urinary incontinence

Creating a “sling” is one surgical method for helping alleviate the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence.

Surgeries for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) usually involve creating a small hammock under the bladder neck or mid urethra to help support it. Depending on the specific type of surgery, the hammock can be constructed of tissue taken from another area of your own body, or a synthetic material. When your sphincter muscle clamps down on the urethra, it presses against this new “hammock” which provides resistance and clamps the urethra closed, helping to keep urine in.Continue reading→