Ob Tape Attorney

        Our attorneys are now evalutating potential Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling class action lawsuits. The Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling was approved by the FDA in 2003.  The purpose of the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling was to help fight stress urinary incontinence. Over 13 million women are suffering from condition in the United States. The Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling is an implanted device that is hailed as a great step towards finding an artificial device to replace eroded or weakened muscles in the urethra. 

       The ObTape worked for most patients but the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling was removed from the market in 2006. The ObTape was removed because it became clear to doctors that the ObTape design made it far more susceptible to complications than other treatment modalities used to treat urinary incontinence.  This is the foundation for the lawsuits that are being filed around the country.

        These complications from the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling often required patients to undergo surgery and, regrettably, often serious and permanent injuries.  This fact was underscored by a Journal of Urology article in October, 2006, underscoring the frequency and the scope of injuries caused by the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling. The study looked at 67 women who had been implanted with the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling.  More than 13% developed vaginal extrusions. Others had chronic vaginal discharge, and one patient developed an abscess that led to complications.

        The most important part of the Journal of Urology study was the control group which had a 56 patient cohort who used another type of vaginal sling. None of the patients in the control group experienced the complications seen with the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling. Other studies have reached similar conclusions with various studies reporting vaginal erosion after Obtape insertion ranges from 1.9% to 20%. Most of these Mentor Obtape studies have found incident rates closer to the the higher range.

        The problem with the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling was that it was apparnently defectively designed.  Vaginal slings were historically designed with a mesh design, allowing the sling to breathe and get nutrients to the body’s tissue.   This Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling tried a new innovative design - which can be a good thing - but put the product on the market without adequate testing. The ObTape Vaginal Sling pushed into and through the vaginal wall causing tearing, cutting, and sometimes permanent erosion of the vaginal tissues.   When ObTape causes erosion of the vagina, complete excision of the exposed mesh is often recommended in order to avoid severe soft tissue infections that may occur for years after surgery.You would think - given these numbers and the potential injuries involved- there would be a ObTape recall. But this product was never recalled. Plaintiffs' lawyers will argue at trial that Mentor knew the product was defective and still did not recall the ObTape because it made a business decision as opposed to looking out for its customers. Accordingly, if you are victim, the later in time your ObTape injuries were the better the trial or settlement value of your ObTape case may be because of the argument that there should have been a recall.

        Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling lawyers will seek to consolidate for discovery purposes the 22 filed Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling lawsuits in an MDL, which ios basically a class action lawsuit for the initial discovery in into the fact that are central to all of the cases (e.g., finding out what Mentor knew about the risks of the ObTape and when they knew it).   Oral arguments will be held on November 20, 2008 in Charleston, South Carolina.

        Approximately 35,000 women used the Mentor ObTape Vaginal Sling between 2003 and 2006.  This means that 7,000 women have potential OBTape Vaginal Sling lawsuits.  So far, there have only been 22 ObTape lawsuits, probably because many women have a hard time coming forward because this is such a private issue.  There are 13 million women with this problem, yet many – up to 50% in some studies – do not receive any treatment for this condition.    But I also think many women do not realize that there are ObTape lawsuits pending around the country and there is a great possibility these women will receive financial compensation they deserve for the Mentor ObTape Sling injuries.

        If you or someone you love has suffered injuries and would like to learn more about the  Mentor ObTape Sling lawsuits that are pending around the country, call Laura Zois at 800-553-6000 or click here for a free confidential Internet case evaluation by a Mentor ObTape Sling lawyer