Mesh Complications Patient Story 36

Pelvic pain, vaginal pain and painful intercourse for both the patient and her husband.

Mesh Complications: Pelvic pain, vaginal pain and painful intercourse for both the patient and her husband.

Treatment: Transvaginal approach to remove extruding TVT sling

The patient is a 53-year-old female whose primary symptoms include vaginal pain and painful intercourse for more than FIVE years. The patient reports she has been unable to have intercourse for more than two years. She reports urine leakage, which is exacerbated during orgasm. She also explains having intercourse is uncomfortable for her husband. Her original surgeon performed the TVT in 2003; at that time she was treated for a cystocele and cough urine leakage. She also had an anterior repair for cystocele with a TVT sling.

Two years after surgery, the patient returned to her surgeon. The surgeon was uncertain why she was experiencing pain and referred the patient to a urologist. The urologist diagnosed her with Overactive Bladder (OAB), and she was treated with medication. She claims the medication was not helpful. She then consulted another local gynecologist who diagnosed her with a spasming uterus.

Dr. Miklos Comment: “It is my experience that patients are most upset when they have been given the run around about their diagnosis. These patients often see multiple doctors and are misdiagnosed for years.”

The patient independently sought the care of Drs. Miklos and Moore. Dr. Miklos examined the patient. He concluded the sling was extruding through the vagina skin. It was also under tension and caused the patient a great deal of discomfort.

(Photos 1) Show the area of mesh extruding through the vaginal skin. This would cause her husband to feel pain during intercourse. When Dr. Miklos examined her with a fingertip, the patient’s pain was reproduced. Confirming the sling was the origin of the patient’s pain.

The patient was taken to the O.R. and the sling was identified after opening the vaginal epithelium (skin) and the sling was dissected. (Photo 2)