Doctors report that common condition can be treated successfully without vaginal mesh
WHAT: Loyola University Health System's (LUHS) urogynecologists applaud the United States Food and Drug Administration for issuing a warning against placing mesh through the vagina to repair pelvic organ prolapse, a common disorder where the internal structures that support the bladder, uterus and bowel drop and protrude outside of the body.
"Fortunately, we are able to help our patients without the use of vaginally placed mesh, which appears to expose patients to greater risk than other surgical options," said Linda Brubaker, MD, director of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, LUHS.
Risks associated with using the mesh in this manner include having the device protrude out of the vaginal tissue, pain, bleeding, infection, organ perforation and need for additional surgery.
The Loyola urogynecology team specializes in mesh-related complications. "We provide care for patients who come to us after they have had this procedure done elsewhere," said Kimberly Kenton, MD, MS, director of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Robotic Program. Elizabeth Mueller, MD, MSME, director, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, agrees. "The mesh-related complications can be reduced through minimally invasive techniques, including laparoscopy and robotics that do not include vaginal mesh."
MEDIA: If you are interested in speaking with a physician, contact Nora Plunkett in Media Relations at (708) 417-5014.
Loyola University Health System (LUHS) is a member of Trinity Health. Based in the western suburbs of Chicago, LUHS is a quaternary care system with a 61-acre main medical center campus, the 36-acre Gottlieb Memorial Hospital campus and more than 30 primary and specialty care facilities in Cook, Will and DuPage counties. The medical center campus is conveniently located in Maywood, 13 miles west of the Chicago Loop and 8 miles east of Oak Brook, Ill. The heart of the medical center campus, Loyola University Hospital, is a 569-licensed-bed facility. It houses a Level 1 Trauma Center, a Burn Center and the Ronald McDonald® Children’s Hospital of Loyola University Medical Center. Also on campus are the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola Outpatient Center, Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine and Loyola Oral Health Center as well as the LUC Stritch School of Medicine, the LUC Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and the Loyola Center for Fitness. Loyola's Gottlieb campus in Melrose Park includes the 264-licensed-bed community hospital, the Professional Office Building housing 150 private practice clinics, the Adult Day Care, the Gottlieb Center for Fitness, Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care and the Loyola Cancer Care & Research at the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center at Melrose Park.