Mail Online

HELP THE WOMEN MAIMED BY THE MESH

SOHIER ELNEIL

SPECIALIST pelvic surgeon sohier elneil heads the london complex mesh centre at University college Hospital london — one of seven centres for women damaged by vaginal mesh that were set up following an official report after a Good Health campaign. she says: FOR many years it seemed almost no one was listening to the women who’d been damaged by vaginal mesh — they were often in constant and crippling pain, but they came up against a stonewall of medical opinion and some reported doctors even said it was all in their mind.

Vaginal mesh was approved in 1 6 for ‘slings’ to support bladders and wombs to treat incontinence or prolapse, usually post childbirth.

In some cases the plastic disintegrated — women described feeling as if they had glass-like shards cutting into them. The mesh often became so embedded it was almost impossible to remove.

The first such procedure I did was in 2005, for a woman in her late 40s who’d had the mesh inserted three years previously. It had cut through her vagina and she was unable to have sex; not only had she separated from her partner but she was in so much pain she’d also lost her job.

After that I got similar referrals once every two or three months through word of mouth.

Then Good Health took up the issue in 2011, running more than 16 reports highlighting the appalling stories of women left crippled by the mesh. It became clear it wasn’t just a few women whingeing and Good Health got that across.

And it did something that other people didn’t — it told the patients’ stories. These were stories about a taboo subject, and not something you expected to see covered in a national newspaper, and it meant a lot to these women to be heard.

The referrals gained momentum and became a flood of up to 30 or 40 a month seeking my help.

Almost 10,000 women damaged by the mesh have now come forward and the medical profession had to admit they couldn’t have this many women saying they’re not OK, and still claim the material was fine.

The Mail’s contribution was significant in getting this issue onto the political agenda — its campaign led to a review led by Baroness Julia Cumberlege, which in 2020 called for a virtual halt in the use of the mesh, and the setting up of specialist surgical centres to remove it.

It was a complete vindication and validation of the Good Health campaign.

30 YEARS OF GOOD HEALTH

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2021-09-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://mailonline.pressreader.com/article/283708367589612

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