Managing Complications of Implanted Mesh

Abstract

The use of surgical mesh in gynecology has come under intense scrutiny over the past year. The US Food and Drug Administration released a public health notification in 2008 outlining the reported complications associated with mesh placement, followed by a safety communication update in 2011. Although implantation of any type of mesh can lead to complications, most are associated with transvaginal placement of mesh for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. This article briefly discusses the history of surgical mesh and how we arrived at our current inflection point. Standardized terminologies for describing mesh-related complications are reviewed. Lastly, management of common mesh-related complications are discussed, including the management of mesh extrusion and pelvic pain/dyspareunia.