The Covidien Parietene mesh is a line of implantable hernia mesh devices that are made and sold by Covidien, a subsidiary of Medtronic. Like many hernia mesh implants, though, the Parietene devices have several defects that can cause medical complications as well as chronic pain for those who have had them implanted. Numerous victims have had to file hernia mesh lawsuits to recover compensation for their experiences.

• 1. Covidien Parietene hernia mesh implants
• 2. Why are Covidien Parietene mesh implants defective?
• 3. No recall for the Covidien Parietene implants

1. Covidien Parietene hernia mesh implants

The Covidien Parietene line of hernia mesh implants is comprised of a small handful of models:

• Parietene,
• Parietene DS Composite Mesh,
• Parietene Macroporous, and the
• Parietene Progrip.

Each model has slightly different traits that tailor it for use in different procedures and to repair different types of hernias.

All of them, though, rely on polypropylene mesh to repair hernias. After a surgeon has made an incision and corrected the hernia, the surgeon can implant a Covidien Parietene device on the location of the hernia. The polypropylene mesh used in the implant is designed to create scar tissue on the abdominal wall that had been weak enough to permit the hernia. This scar tissue grows into the mesh’s pores, effectively pulling the mesh in to join the muscle. Together with the additional scar tissue, the presence of the mesh is supposed to strengthen the muscle enough to prevent a recurring hernia.

2. Why are Covidien Parietene mesh implants defective?

Covidien Parietene implants are defective because they use polypropylene mesh. Polypropylene is a cheap type of plastic that erodes or deteriorates in the presence of oxygen, a process known as oxidization. The tissues and blood that surround hernia mesh implants are all rich in oxygen. Even when polypropylene is chemically treated with an antioxidant additive before being implanted, that additive only slows down the process. Because hernia mesh devices are by design meant to be permanent, even a slow erosion process is likely to cause medical complications and severe pain and discomfort.

For hernia mesh implants, the worst part of polypropylene erosion is when the device shrinks. The whole point of polypropylene mesh in hernia implants is to create scar tissue that combines the mesh to the abdominal wall. When the mesh begins to erode and shrink, if it has already conformed to the abdominal wall, that shrinkage is going to tug and pull on the tissues and muscles it has connected to. The result is very uncomfortable and often very painful.

Worse, if nerves have also grown into the mesh implant, those feelings of discomfort and pain are likely to be exacerbated.

In some cases, Covidien Parietene hernia mesh devices shrink so much that they peel away from the abdominal wall. Not only does this drastically weaken the abdominal muscles and increase the odds of a recurring hernia, the device can also fold back on itself or even migrate away from the implant location, causing medical problems wherever it goes.

3. No recall for the Covidien Parietene implants

In spite of the risks that Covidien Parietene implants pose for patients and the injuries those patients have suffered, there has not been a recall for any models in the Covidien Parietene line of implants. As a result, victims who have suffered chronic pain or who have needed subsequent surgeries to repair the damage caused by their Parietene implant have had to join an existing hernia mesh MDL to recover the compensation they deserve.