Minister of health seeks mesh answers

New Minister of Health David Clark wants an explanation on the slow progress of surgical mesh injury prevention.

‘‘I will want to be briefed on it, but I’ve said in the past I can’t understand why there hasn’t been a [surgical mesh] registry formed and if there is a good reason I haven’t heard it, so I would like to hear from the ministry,’’ he said.

At a meeting of health agencies and the advocacy group Mesh Down Under last week, the Health Ministry committed to a cost-benefit analysis for a pelvic surgical mesh registry within the next three to six months, director of protection, regulation and assurance Dr Stewart Jessamine said.

The registry would exclude mesh hernia repair surgeries.

‘‘It’s possible other mesh surgeries could be considered subsequently,’’ Jessamine said.

In the three years since a parliamentary Health Select Committee (HSC) launched an inquiry into surgical mesh injuries, ACC treatment injury claims have increased by 82 per cent, according to an ACC review published last Wednesday.

The review said ACC had spent $13 million on 810 claims for surgical mesh injuries lodged between July 2005 and June 2017. Claims had increased over the 12-year period from six in 2005-06 to 150 in 2016-17.

People injured by mesh procedures suffer infection, damaged nerves and chronic sharp pain, which can result from erosion or displacement of the mesh.

Other effects include loss of feeling in the groin, legs and abdomen; inability to work; sexual dysfunction; depression; anxiety and opioid addiction.

A mesh registry was among eight recommendations made by the HSC in 2016 to better monitor use of mesh and prevent injuries.

No action was taken to investigate a registry as it was to be part of the overhaul the therapeutic goods legislation due to begin later this year.

The ACC review found just over half of all mesh ACC claims (53 per cent) were for gynaecological procedures and 36 per cent were for hernia repair surgeries, with the remainder for urology, plastic and burns and other.

Most mesh injury claims were from women (76 per cent).

Mesh Down Under membership had grown to 472 injured people since it first petitioned the government for an inquiry in 2014.

At last week’s meeting the parties also agreed to the co-design of patient information leaflets by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Mesh Down Under, ministry involvement in the distribution of new information to patients and support for mesh injury research.

Jessamine said all parties ‘‘recognised the harm done to a number of women as a result of the use of surgical mesh and a commitment from all involved to work together to improve patient outcomes’’.

The ministry also committed to establishing a working group to progress the HSC’s recommendations.

Mesh Down Under spokeswoman Charlotte Korte said the group was thrilled the government and medical colleges had agreed to take action on the issue, but wanted the registry to include all mesh procedures. ‘‘We think it is really fantastic that the ministry are doing the cost-benefit analysis on a register because it means it is being treated with urgency and separate from the therapeutics goods legislation, which is a great step forward.’’

Christchurch man John Pritchard, who suffers from excruciating pain after a hernia procedure in June last year, said he was pleased the meeting had gone ahead.

He wanted Clark to ensure patients were properly informed about the potential risks and for a registry to be set up urgently. ‘‘I didn’t even know I had mesh in me until I had all this pain.’’

"I can't understand why there hasn't been a [surgical mesh] registry formed."

New Minister of Health David Clark