Vaginal surgical mesh: What you should know

On this page

• Things to consider before getting vaginal surgical mesh
• What to ask your surgeon before surgery
• Ongoing follow-up after surgery

Things to consider before getting vaginal surgical mesh

If you are considering surgery to treat pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence, you should know:

• the management and/or treatment options available to you, both non-surgical and surgical
• the type of mesh to be used (biologic, absorbable synthetic or non-absorbable synthetic)
• the risks and benefits of the specific vaginal surgical mesh
• that vaginal surgical mesh are intended to be permanent implants
• that partial or full removal of vaginal surgical mesh may not be possible

What to ask your surgeon before surgery

Before you decide to get vaginal surgical mesh, you should ask your surgeon about:

• the particular vaginal surgical mesh being recommended for you
• the reason the surgeon is recommending the particular type of vaginal surgical mesh
• the surgeon’s credentials and experience with this particular vaginal surgical mesh
• whether serious vaginal surgical mesh-related adverse events can be corrected
• a copy of the vaginal surgical mesh instructions for use for your review and records
• whether the vaginal surgical mesh can be partially or fully removed if there are side effects
• the risks and possible side effects of removing the vaginal surgical mesh, if required
• whether this particular surgeon has expertise in partial or full removal of the vaginal surgical mesh, or if you may need to be referred to someone else and/or travel to another location

You should also ask about the risks involved with vaginal surgical mesh and the surgery, including:

• placement of the vaginal surgical mesh
• time needed to recover from the operation
• impact on activities of daily living:
  • immediately after the operation
  • after the healing period has passed
• possible side effects of the operation

Ongoing follow-up after surgery

After your surgery, you should continue routine follow-up as suggested by your surgeon. You should also see your surgeon or health care provider if you:

• have concerns
• develop new complications
• experience changes or worsening of your complications