What Problems Are Associated With an Abdominal Mesh?
Problems associated with an abdominal mesh include pain, adhesion, infection and bowel obstruction, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports. Other issues include mesh migration and contraction. In some cases, the mesh can perforate surrounding organs or cause holes between organs.
As of 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recalled several brands of abdominal mesh known for causing complications after surgery. These mesh brands were frequently associated with serious complications, including bowel obstruction and perforation, as noted the U.S Food and Drug Administration.
Abdominal mesh is commonly used to repair abdominal hernias, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hernias occur when an organ begins to push through a weak area in the muscles. Heavy lifting, constipation and strong coughing can all cause hernias, but the muscle weakness can occur as a birth defect, as WebMD explains.
Abdominal mesh helps reinforce the weak area of the muscle so that it can properly repair. There is absorbable and non-absorbable mesh. The body eventually breaks down absorbable mesh, but non-absorbable mesh remains in the body as a permanent implant. Synthetic mesh comes in both forms, while animal-derived mesh is usually absorbable, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
