Mesh forums ‘confronting’
Alison Lee has not been able to work since she had surgical mesh implanted to fix stress incontinence in 2014.
The initial transvaginal procedure was followed by further surgery to loosen the mesh tape and a partial removal in 2015.
She suffered chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, and a hip injury that made walking difficult.
ACC declined her treatment injury claim following the second procedure to adjust the tape, despite her continuing pain, for the next two years.
Lee is among more than 600 New Zealanders who have shared details of traumatic complications from surgical mesh procedures at a series of forums.
The marketing and use of the products have come under increasing international scrutiny in the past decade in response to horror stories from patients who have suffered life-changing injuries.
The Ministry of Health held the forums in Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin and Auckland over the past two months.
Chief medical officer Dr Andrew Simpson said the stories were ‘‘confronting’’.
‘‘Where we are now is we need to work collectively, informed by patients, advocates, agencies. How do we respond to the issues people have raised and how do we do that in a way to minimise this happening again?’’
After sharing her plight with
Stuff in 2017, Lee, a mother of two from Auckland, pleaded with her surgeon to remove the remaining mesh.
He agreed to revisit her case and, with another surgeon, managed to remove it in October that year.
Because of nerve damage Lee has continued to suffer.
‘‘I’ve been left with nerve damage and I’ve got chronic pain and fatigue but I don’t feel toxic like I used to with the mesh still in there so that’s a huge thing.’’
After a long battle, ACC accepted her claim for cover including weekly compensation after she provided a scan that showed inflammation of the tissue where the mesh was implanted.
All three treatment injury procedures were provided in the public system but Lee said early acceptance of cover by ACC would have given her access to faster treatment and care.
Lee and her husband shared experience at a forum in August.
‘‘The biggest thing for me was to be heard and not just fobbed off, you know we’re people not just another case number . . . just listen and believe us.’’
Lee said she wanted to see specialist centres and a register established for mesh injuries.
Mesh Down Under advocate and mesh survivor Patricia Sullivan said participating in a forum was overwhelming.
‘‘One of the things that really struck me was the impact on the partners where they, perhaps for the first time, got to have their voices heard.’’
She said her husband took part in a separate forum to share his experience ‘‘just so that I didn’t feel even more traumatised by his trauma’’.
Listening to the stories she felt angry, but ultimately hopeful the Government would listen and act.
A team from the Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice at Victoria University of Wellington ran the forums and will provide the ministry with a summary report next month.
Simpson said on Wednesday the team will facilitate a meeting with representatives from agencies across the health sector to ‘‘determine next steps and actions’’. their