‘Many adjectives could describe … accounts by mesh survivors: Calamitous. Shocking. Disastrous. Preventable.’

A year-long inquiry has found hernia and pelvic mesh implants caused “catastrophic and debilitating” injuries that were ignored.

A state government apology to South Australians affected by medical mesh, including the families of two deceased, would help victims heal over “systemic failures” in detecting and addressing injuries, a parliamentary committee inquiry has recommended.

The Social Development Committee’s inquiry report into surgical implantation of medical mesh in SA was tabled on Tuesday.

The report described “catastrophic and debilitating” injuries, ignored or reluctantly recognised by the medical profession, as “calamitous”, “shocking”, “disastrous” and “preventable”.

"Sarah", Kim Blieschke and Eunice Shimmin continue to experience ongoing lifelong trauma from pelvic mesh, which is still being used by SA doctors today. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

In its report, the committee noted two cases in which family members had died from conditions alleged to be attributable to mesh injuries.

“In both cases, their loved ones had gone through years of pain and suffering, along with many visits to GPs and medical specialists, following mesh implantation,” the report says. “However, the role of mesh in their injuries was not identified or, was ignored.”

Medical mesh is made of plastic polypropylene to treat hernia, and pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence (common among women). These ‘pelvic’ mesh devices have been linked to serious complications like bleeding and infection, chronic pain, chronic fatigue and irreparable incontinence.

Among the SA parliamentary committee report’s 17 recommendations were:

AN apology from the state government, on behalf of the health system, as “a step towards healing for (those) injured by mesh”. The report did not in any way blame the government for mesh-related injuries;

THE immediate release of funding for SA women to access full mesh removal surgery in Victoria;

COMPENSATION for up to 27 SA women waiting for full mesh removal since December 2018, if they have proceeded with the cost of interstate treatment on their own; and

FUNDING for more SA Pelvic Mesh Clinic staff.

Banksia Park resident Tracey Singleton, 45, was the key mesh injured advocate who inspired Labor MP Dana Wortley to initiate the inquiry.

Ms Singleton said the government must fund interstate procedures for full mesh removal for SA. She said the almost two-year wait for a credentialed urogynecologist to be recruited to SA was “unacceptable” and added to the existing trauma suffered by women. She said hernia mesh injured should also be treated at the SA Pelvic Mesh Clinic.

Tracey Singleton, 45, was the key mesh injured advocate who inspired Labor MP Dana Wortley to initiate the SA mesh inquiry – Picture: Tom Huntley

SA mesh injured advocate and Port Pirie paramedic Kim Blieschke said: The state government needs to acknowledge that these women have been ignored and gaslighted and not given the respect and justice they deserved.

“It is a medical disaster and an ongoing tragedy – not only because of the historic damage done but because there are still so many women who do not know they have been implanted with mesh or that the significant symptoms they are suffering from are related to it.”

Ms Wortley said: “The women and men who gave evidence to the inquiry did so at enormous emotional cost to themselves and to their families.

“This report is ringing alarm bells, and the government must act on the recommendations as a matter of urgency.”

A government response to the report is expected.