What Is Transvaginal Mesh?
TVM is made of a synthetic material called polypropylene – a perforated plastic strip embedded with a small incision in the vaginal wall as a “sling” or “hammock” to shore up pelvic organs that often sag after childbirth or as we age (vaginal laxity). The conditions TVM was designed to treat are pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
Even when creators of TVM knew that the plastic material could harden and cause dangerous complications, they still made and promoted Y mesh, so named for its Y shape but implanted laparoscopically in the abdomen. Y mesh, though made of the same polypropylene, was hyped as an improved mesh device for treating POP and SUI. And as with TVM, it took years to collect suitable data on the performance (or risk) of Y mesh.
What Went Wrong with Pelvic Mesh?
Scientists conceptualized that organic tissue would grow into and around the perforated mesh, ideally bolstering critical pelvic organs to prevent prolapse, incontinence, and/or protrusion through the vagina.
The problem with plastic placed into the pelvic region, however, is that it is prone to lose elasticity if a woman’s own tissues thin and pull back (erosion), exposing the plastic and causing it to become hard.
Polypropylene is initially soft, so it seemed ideal for pelvic sling systems to manage POP + SUI. Thus, the implants were designed as permanent reinforcements; however, when the plastic hardens, it causes such painful side effects that it often has to be removed, along with surrounding tissue into which it may have “meshed.”
The skin in the pelvic region is meant to be elastic so that you can have intercourse, eliminate wastes, have bowel movements, and bear children.
