Physiomesh (hernia mesh)

2023: Guilty plea for patient deaths by Johnson & Johnson

On December 1, 2023, Johnson & Johnson announced the settlement of more than 200 lawsuits related to the supply of rejected hernia nets to the market. We are talking about Physiomesh products manufactured by Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

The Physiomesh product is a lightweight elastic macroporous surgical mesh with a non-adhesive coating for intraperitoneal hernia prosthetics. Indications for the use of the product include: postoperative hernias, giant ventral hernias, hernia of the esophageal opening, etc. Physiomesh contains a monocril film that provides an effective anti-surge barrier and prevents visceral peritoneum adhesion to mesh elements.

Ethicon Physiomesh

Among the advantages of the Physiomesh product, the developer named minimal tissue damage and the most effective intra-abdominal installation. However, in practice, the use of mesh turned into health problems in many patients. As of the end of 2019, at least 10 deaths related to the use of Physiomesh have been reported in the United States alone. In total, it is estimated that more than 300,000 patients in American clinics have received Physiomesh mesh implants since their approval in 2010. In connection with the marriage, numerous lawsuits were brought against the manufacturer. As a result, Johnson & Johnson went to a settlement agreement, the details of which were not disclosed as of early December 2023.

We sympathize with all patients who have experienced medical complications following hernia mesh surgery. This settlement agreement is in the interests of all parties to avoid a lengthy lawsuit and allow us to continue to concentrate on providing patient care, Ethicon said in a statement.[1]

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