The vaginal mesh disaster does not just impact women and developments should be scrutinised.
By Charlotte Lomas, news correspondent
Image:Vaginal mesh surgery has been carried out on more than 100,000 women in England since 2008
Little did I know a story I first began covering four years
ago would become a health scandal which experts have described as
"bigger than Thalidomide".
The use of vaginal mesh has gone on to
be discussed in parliament by then prime minister Theresa May as she
ordered a review into its safety.
For those of you reading this and thinking this story is all about
vaginas, you are deeply mistaken. Yes, this is a disaster that primarily
impacts women, mainly those who have suffered common complications
after childbirth, such as urinary incontinence or prolapse.
But it affects us all and we should be following developments closely.
'When you know the truth, it's almost more traumatising'
At the heart of this story lies accusations of poor regulation, lack
of clinical trials, corruption, cover-ups and conflicts of interest;
allegations that there is no long-term data to properly assess a surgery
carried out on more than 100,000 women in England since 2008;
insufficient data, despite the procedure being offered to women since
the late 1990s.
Earlier this year, the US regulator, the FDA, halted the sale and
distribution of all mesh used to treat pelvic organ prolapse citing
safety concerns.
A period of high vigilance restriction regarding
vaginal mesh is currently in place in England until certain criteria is
met and the independent review led by Baroness Cumberlege makes its
conclusions.
Yet the latest guidance from the UK health watchdog, NICE, is that mesh will be offered as one option to women once the suspension is lifted.
The
guidance does, however, say surgery should only be provided once
alternatives have failed and after women have been counselled properly
about the risks and possible complications. This is advice that was
claimed to have been missing previously.
Vaginal mesh guidelines ignore 'thousands' of women
The reason why vaginal mesh is making headlines and coming under
scrutiny is down, in large part, to the relentless fight of campaigners.
These
are women who have devastating stories of chronic pain, of not being
able to have sex, not being able to work, who struggle to walk. A recent
survey showed one in 20 women injured by mesh have attempted suicide.
They report that the mesh has cut through organs, embedded into tissue and left permanent nerve damage.
Image:The Sling the Mesh campaign group now has more than 7,000 members
One woman in particular has been at the forefront of this turning tide on its use.
I
first interviewed Kath Sansom in June 2015 when she set up her Facebook
campaign group, Sling the Mesh. At the time she had a couple of hundred
members but at the time of publication the group stands at 7,742.
Yet
the prevailing view from medical professionals is that the benefits of
vaginal mesh outweigh the risks and the surgery is effective in the
majority of women. There is a striking dichotomy of opinion which is
strange and needs exploring.
It is true that many women who have
vaginal mesh surgery will experience no problem at all. But for others,
it can cause life-changing complications and agonising pain. And
worryingly, it appears impossible to predict who will develop problems
and when.
