TVT implant claims

The use of transvaginal tape (TVT or TVTO) for treatment of stress urinary incontinence was considered to be a simple, less invasive method of helping women with this troublesome and sometimes embarrassing condition.

However significant complications have been reported including bleeding, urethral or bladder injury, urethral or bladder mesh erosion, organ perforation, vaginal extrusion of mesh, urinary tract infection, pain, urinary urgency and bladder outlet obstruction.

Women did not receive sufficient information from their treating surgeons before undergoing mesh treatment.

Some women have been left with long term complications, unable to work, unable to enjoy social and leisure activities. They have been unable to have sexual intercourse and in very severe cases have been unable to walk. Studies suggest that as many as one in 10 women have suffered serious complications.

Amid safety concerns, the use of TVT and TVTO was halted across the UK in 2018.

However, many women have highlighted the fact that they were not advised about the alternative forms of treatment for their stress urinary incontinence, about the conservative methods of treatment and safer alternative surgical options. Women were not given the choice between TVT surgery which involves making two small incisions in the abdomen or the use of TVTO surgery which involved making two small incisions in the groin (this type of surgery carried an increased risk of chronic groin and leg pain).

Claims are being pursued against the NHS trusts who were responsible for the mesh treatment. The allegations are of clinical negligence in the trusts failure to provide sufficient information to enable women to give fully informed consent to mesh treatment. Had women been told about the potential risks associated with mesh they would have opted for a safer alternative treatment had they been advised properly and been given a choice.

Our specialist harmful product solicitors will be able to help and support you when making a claim for compensation. We have worked with many women who have suffered injury due to TVT or TVTO surgery and have the skills, knowledge and experience to get you the best level of compensation for your claim.

We make claiming compensation straightforward. We offer free advice and guidance when investigating your claim, without obligation. We are available to meet with you face to face or to discuss matters over the phone. We also offer no win, no fee services – meaning that if your claim is unsuccessful, we won’t charge you a penny.

How we can help

Our harmful products team has experience in pursuing mesh claims. If you have suffered as a result of receiving a transvaginal tape implant, we can take you through the process of making a claim for compensation. In addition to your pain and suffering, you could be entitled to your out-of-pocket expenses incurred in seeking treatment, time off work and care needs. For more information or to find out if you are eligible to claim, get in touch using the phone or envelope icons on this page.

How much will it cost?

The vast majority of cases are funded on a no win, no fee basis, also known as Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs). This means that if your case is unsuccessful, you will not have to pay anything. We will only take on your case if, after assessing your claim, we decide that there is a reasonable chance of success. Our initial consultation is free, so you won’t pay a penny if we don’t accept your case.

How do I make a claim?

We can offer you a free no obligation consultation with one of our specialist lawyers to discuss whether you can make a claim. We can provide a clear explanation of the claims process and the various options open to you.

If it is established that you have received a defective product, we can investigate the extent of your injury caused by the mesh.

Will I have to go to court?

It is possible that your case may ultimately be decided in court. Whilst the majority of personal injury claims are settled out of court, we always need to consider what a judge would decide if your case did go to court. In cases for group actions for defective products it is usual for a small number of individual cases to be chosen to illustrate the types and severity of the injuries suffered. In the UK there has not been a trial involving transvaginal mesh products yet. There are several actions being pursued but that have yet reached a trial.

Litigation is being pursued at length in the United States and there have been numbers of cases in which manufacturers have been ordered by the courts to pay damages to those affected.

What are the time limits for pursuing these types of claims?

Court proceedings have to be started within three years of the patient knowing that they have a problem from the product and in claims under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 alleging that the product is defective, there is an additional “long stop” extinguishing time limit. That is to say that the right to sue is lost once ten years has expired from the date that the product was put into supply. In medicines and medical devices, there may sometimes be quite a delay between the time that the product leaves the factory and the time that it is actually implanted.