“I have no life and neither do the ones watching me suffer”: Women’s Lived Experiences of Transvaginal Mesh Implant Surgery

Abstract

Pelvic floor disorders, notably stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, impact on women’s quality of life. A common surgical treatment method known as transvaginal mesh implant surgery has been used in recent times to rectify these impacts. Although successful for many women, this procedure has led to controversy due to growing accounts of adverse complications, leading to a recent Parliament of Australia Senate Inquiry. This paper will discuss these issues, provide context for the complications through the biopsychosocial model, and provide recommendations for future research.