Medical devices to help patients deal with incontinence have changed the lives of many for the better. At this level of surgery, however, complications can occur, and urethral sling surgeries for women often have severe side effects.

Bladder slings, or transvaginal mesh implants, are used to treat stress urinary incontinence in primarily post-menopausal women. According to WebMD.com, the implant of these slings requires deep incisions, meaning that it is an inpatient procedure. Usually patients are able to return home two to three days after the procedure, though the recovery period is usually two to four weeks after that. WebMD notes that while complications are common, the implementation of a bladder sling usually cures stress urinary incontinence in eight out of 10 women.

DrugWatch.com reports that there are commonly used types of bladder slings. The first is called a tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) sling, in which the patient’s tissue is used to hold the sling in place instead of stitches. The second is a transobturator tape sling (TOW or TVT-O), which is a tension-free surgery that “has less risk of bladder and bowel injury in comparison with the TVT sling.” The third is a mini-sling, which has the least risk of complications after surgery. This is also the newest form of bladder sling, having debuted in 2006.

When bladder slings first hit the medical market, the side effects were not as well known or publicized as they are today. MD-Health.com advises that side effects can include difficulty urinating, internal bleeding, and severe pain. Inflammation of the organs around the bladder is common, making sex difficult. Faulty mesh implants can result in the obstruction of the urethra, damage to the bowels, and injury to surrounding blood vessels and nerves. In September of 2013, according to Bloomberg News, the first wave of lawsuits against five makers of vaginal mesh implants went to court. “The total number of suits could swell to more than 50,000 as more claimants seek to join the potential settlement,” reported Bloomberg News.

If you or someone you know has suffered severe side effects because of a bladder sling operation in Connecticut, the most important step is to speak to an attorney. Contact Richard H. Raphael, Attorney at Law, for a free initial consultation today.

A review conducted by USA TODAY reveals how each year there are over 100,000 medical workers who are addicted to or are abusing prescription narcotics. This means that doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and other health care aides working in hospitals and nursing homes could be putting patients’ lives at risk.

Prescription drug addiction has reached epidemic proportions in this county. According to the review, that epidemic is now also deeply embedded in the medical community, with oxycodone and fentanyl as two of the most common drugs abused by medical workers. Because of the medical knowledge these worker have, they are often able to hide their addictions better than an addict who is not in the medical community.

The publication used data collected from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. According to the agency, in 2007 there were approximately 103,000 medical workers abusing prescription drugs every year. However, other studies have indicated that that number could actually be much higher. This suggests that one in ten medical workers will struggle with addiction at some point.

Part of the problem is that many states lack safeguards which would require a medical facility to report to law enforcement when a medical employee has been fired for stealing or abusing narcotics. This allows the abuser to go from facility to facility for employment. And when a medical worker is stealing drugs for his or her own use, they are putting thousands of lives in danger.

It is also rare for hospitals and medical boards to seek disciplinary actions. In fact, USA TODAY analysis reports that between 2010 and 2013, only less than 750 physicians nationwide “lost hospital privileges or had their licenses revoked or restricted for being unable to practice safely because of drug or alcohol abuse.” One recommendation to help improve this situation, however, is through education and teaching ways to identify drug use to both prevent and treat addiction.

If you believe a loved one in nursing care has suffered from complications caused by negligent medical care, please contact a Westport medical malpractice attorney to discuss compensations he or she may be entitled to for pain and loss.

Connecticut law requires that all licensed insurance companies report any medical professional liability claims or lawsuits to the state, as an effort to keep track of where medical malpractice occurs, the rates of medical malpractice, and to determine if they are disproportionately reported in one hospital or treatment center.

There are three possible payouts in a medical malpractice case:

1. Indemnity – the amount of settlement dollars paid by the insurance company;
2. Defense counsel payments; and
3. Adjusting and other expenses – commonly the amount incurred by the actual insurance company to settle the claim.

Data collected by the State of Connecticut Insurance Department shows that the frequency of medical malpractice claims has decreased, even as the value of indemnity either awarded or settled has increased. As a whole, the Department reports that “claim values have increased at an average rate of approximately seven percent per year since 1992.”  The Department predicts that the number of cases will continue to increase as the state and the nation continues to recover from the 2008 economic downturn.

This has not led to a great change in the cost of medical malpractice insurance for licensed physicians in Connecticut in any significant way, though Connecticut’s average cost per claim is, according to the state’s Insurance Department, still among the highest in the nation.

There are three different types of insurance underwriters that may insure a medical professional: commercial insurers, excess and surplus lines insurers, ad captives, risk attention groups, and self-insured hospital. The latter accounts for 53 percent of the medical insurance market. No matter what type of insurance your physician or hospital carries, you are eligible for the same rights when it comes to a medical malpractice claim.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of medical malpractice, the most important step is to seek the counsel of a medical malpractice attorney. Contact Richard H. Raphael, Attorney at Law today for a free initial consultation.