QUESTIONS need to be asked about the side-effects of transvaginal mesh implants according to a leading consumer health advocate which says the problem is "grossly underestimated".
The Victorian-based Health Issues Centre said it has already received a "tsunami of feedback" to its nationwide survey from women who have undergone pelvic mesh implants to treat stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
Its online Facebook survey targeted 14,000 women nationally and in just three weeks was completed by 1250 people. Just under half of these respondents (48 per cent) were aged over 60.
The anonymous survey found more than half the women (58 per cent) had been adversely impacted, citing problems such as chronic incontinence, abdominal pain and pain during intercourse.
A quarter of these women said the impact of the implants has led to a breakdown of their marriages or personal relationships.
Of those who sought remedial medical assistance, just over 10 per cent reported this made things
better, while 40 per cent reported it made no difference and 11 per cent that it made matters worse. The remaining 39 per cent were told nothing could be done for them.
The research will form part of the Health Issues Centre's submission to a senate inquiry into the mesh implants in Australia, which is being spearheaded by Senator Derryn Hinch.
Centre chief executive Danny Vadasz said he has no idea "how much of the iceberg has been revealed" so far, but there could be considerably more given the survey is getting about 100 survey responses per day.
"I think we have already demonstrated that this is a significant public health problem which has been grossly underestimated - in terms of numbers of women as well as the severity of resultant health problems," Mr Vadasz said.
"A lot of questions need to be asked.
"What we are seeing is a catastrophic failure at all levels of the health system to protect the well-being of thousands of women - the lack of due diligence by the TGA in approving the device given the risks; culpability of manufacturers who, despite plenty of evidence of adverse reactions overseas, continue marketing their products; the government, which does not have a central register of how many procedures have occurred and how many products have been sold; and finally, those surgeons who continue to practise the procedure without informing their patients of the risks and the irreversibility of the implant."
Mr Vadasz said while transvaginal mesh has been seen by the medical fraternity as having "revolutionised" surgical options for women with stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, "the collateral damage for women when it goes wrong is just too high".
The centre wants the classification of mesh to treat either of the conditions to be upgraded to a higher risk status.
Problem "under-reported"
Despite the number of women coming forward, Mr Vadasz believes the problem will continue to go under-reported given that many women do not associate their symptoms with their mesh implants.
"This has been borne out by the significant number of survey respondents who told us they were unaware that the pain and problems they had suffered for many years could be linked to their mesh implant," he said.
"Some have cried at the realisation, with one woman declaring, 'Now I know I'm not crazy'."
In another comment on the centre's Facebook page, a women writes that her specialist "told me it was all in my head". "He got angry with me and said, 'I suggest you stop focusing on the vagina, and get on with your life'."
Mr Vadasz is calling on women who have had an implant (or believe they may have) to complete the survey - https://www.facebook.com/pg/UnderstandingPelvicMesh
