Surgical mesh for stress urinary incontinence to be halted immediately in England

The use of surgical mesh for stress urinary incontinence is to be suspended immediately following a recommendation by the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review.1

The review was announced by the government in February after pressure from campaigners and the all party parliamentary group on surgical mesh implants.23 An increasing number of women have reported complications after mesh surgery including debilitating pain, infection, inflammation, loss of sex life, and mobility problems.

The announcement comes just days after the review began to take evidence from women affected by mesh injury. Julia Cumberlege, who chairs the review, said she was “appalled at the seriousness and scale” of the stories she had heard from women and their families.

She said: “We must stop exposing women to the risk of life changing and life threatening injuries. We must have measures in place to mitigate the risk, …