Medical Verdicts

Marlex mesh sutured to bladder, not vagina


 

Bexar County (Tex) District Court

An 82-year-old woman underwent a sacral colpopexy with Marlex mesh and a Moskowitz procedure. A total urethrovesical suspension was then performed and her vaginal and bladder prolapse was corrected.

Six months later, the woman had dehiscence of the vaginal cuff and prolapse of the small bowel, which was repaired by exploratory laparotomy, during which it was discovered that the Marlex mesh had been inappropriately sutured to the bladder rather than to the apex of the vagina.

The woman, who had pain and discomfort requiring 8 days of hospitalization, claimed negligence, which the defense denied.

  • A defense verdict was returned.
The cases in this column are selected by the editors of OBG Management from Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts, with permission of the editor, Lewis Laska, of Nashville, Tenn (www.verdictslaska.com). While there are instances when the available information is incomplete, these cases represent the types of clinical situations that typically result in litigation.

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