Scottish Gov’t to limit pelvic mesh implants

The Scottish Government’s safety review group said it will no longer recommend 3 of the 4 pelvic mesh procedures performed routinely in Scottish hospitals for patients with pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.

The change came after the Scottish Government launched an expert review group to analyze the use of the mesh to treat pelvic organ prolapse. The group came to the conclusion that the devices should not be approved for patients, according to Scottish paper Daily Record and Sunday Mail.

“We’re now confident no other woman will be left unaware of the horrific side-effects of mesh implants, We called for a total ban on mesh products as we believe time will show just how dangerous they are. But we’re happy to support the review recommendations as long as they and our petition points are put in place and actioned before any suspension is lifted,” Hear Our voice women’s advocacy group campaigner Elaine Holmes said, according to the paper.

The paper said that it uncovered that hundreds of women had been “left crippled and in agony,” after undergoing a procedure with the devices, which led to an investigation into the mesh implants.

With the change, doctors will no longer be able to use the implants unless authorized by a multi-disciplinary medical team, the paper said. Doctors were also warned that they must report adverse events or “face possible sanctions,” as victims said their problems had been hidden by doctors.

“Stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse are conditions which, while not life threatening, cause considerable distress to many women, with disruption of their normal lives. The hope of a treatment which can reduce that distress and return their lives to normal is understandably sought eagerly,” the report reads. “However no surgery is without complications and a number of women have had both minor and major complications due to the surgery itself and some have found their lives transformed completely for the worse, unable to pursue a normal family, personal and working life.”

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