There are so many media outlets beginning to shed some light on the complications associated with pelvic surgery, more specifically, transvaginal mesh. Among the many articles, these are some examples:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/746285
http://jezebel.com/5821248/vaginal-mesh-proceed-at-your-own-risk
http://www.mesh411.com/
These articles highlight many of the reported complications that are irreversible if the mesh erodes through the tissue of the vaginal wall or the tissue of any of the pelvic organs. Beyond the complications specifically associated with the mesh, the pelvis is an area of the body that is more likely to form adhesions following injury or surgery. These adhesions themselves can cause significant pain, increased symptoms of incontinence or prolapse, as well as spasms of the pelvic organs themselves.
The one option you have to resolve your symptoms with no side effects is exercise and posture. This is an option that allows you to help yourself and empower your own body to regain control of your pelvic floor and organ support.
Why not give your body an opportunity to heal naturally? The information you will find on the Hab It DVD, the Hab It blog, and on our Hab It YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/PTPartners will lead you down the road to recovery. We are happy to help you help yourself!
HI Tasha, I’ve heard great things about your DVD programme around the web and so I tried to purchase a copy of it via your website. I’m in Australia and so was referred to an Australian distributor which is great (thank you) but they have included a few disclaimers about the programme which I wanted to pass by you. I have copied this from their website.
HabIt Pelvic Floor DVD is a US producttion. Health professionals often have different views about the best ways of treating their clients, and this can be especially true in different countries. Some exercises on the DVD may therefore differ from current Australian recommendations including:
Transverse Abdominis indraw exercises and plank exercises would often not be recommended by Australian practitioners in the early stages of a pelvic floor strengthening program, as they are understood to increase intra-abdominal pressure and potentially create extra pressure on a weak pelvic floor.
Wide leg Samurai squats are generally not recommended in Australia for women with a compromised pelvic floor.
Tightening adductor (inner thigh) muscles during a pelvic floor contraction is generally not recommended in Australia, and adductor exercises with a band and ball are not understood to strengthen the pelvic floor.
Current Australian recommendations for pelvic floor exercise repetitions are 3×8-12 reps each day.
Would you mind shedding some light on these? I have ordered the DVD but I’m a bit confused by this.
Thanking you so much in advance.
Francesca,
Thank you for your question. I am aware of the disclaimers on this Australian site. We continue to use this distributor for the convenience of our customers, but I do strongly disagree with their statements. The muscle groups that they have highlighted, the transversus abdominus, the inner thighs, and the samauri squat exercise are three cornerstones of the Hab It Pelvic Floor program. Without engaging these muscle groups, you will never achieve optimal pelvic floor strength. The success of thousands of Hab It Pelvic Floor users speaks for itself.
It is true that practicioners often disagree on how to treat/rehab various dysfunctions. The Hab It Pelvic Floor program, I truly believe is the most informative, best instructed video out there, with the most appropriate exercises for strengthening your pelvic floor. It was written by myself, a physical therapist experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction, and I have had the advantage of working with and fine tuning these exercises through 3 pregnancies. I experienced the same fear of the unknown that many women have had to work through on my way to recovery and that is what sets me apart. As I read questions from so many of you and I work to coach you through your own recovery, I can directly relate to the challenges you are experiencing.
As you work your way through the dvd, particularly the exercises and muscle groups that have been highlighted, please keep us informed as to the difference they make for you. This commentary will help many more women who have read conflicting recommendations like yourself.
We look forward to hearing from you as you work your way through the Hab It program!
-Tasha
Tasha,
Thank you so much for your thorough response. I really appreciate it. It all makes sense to me and I’m really looking forward to embarking on the programme. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
Francesca
Hi Tasha,
I’ve been checking the hab-it site for the advanced work outs you mentioned were coming. Is the You Tube channel you mentioned above where I should look instead?
Thanks!
Emily
Emily,
Thank you for being patient. Everything is in and we are waiting for the new website to get up and running – any day now- and on the new website you will find the advanced program. Believe me, I am just as anxious as you!
Tasha
FDA Should Recall Surgical Mesh for Women, Public Citizen Says
By Anna Edney
August 25, 2011 17:33 EDT
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Surgical mesh products made by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX) to correct falling pelvic organs in women should be immediately recalled because of painful side effects, a watchdog group said.
Mesh products made of non-absorbable synthetic material can erode and cause pain, bleeding and urinary incontinence, Public Citizen, based in Washington, said in a statement today. The mesh is implanted through incisions made in the wall of the vagina to reinforce the tissues around the pelvic organs.
The watchdog group, founded by Ralph Nader, estimates that 67,500 women had the non-absorbable mesh implanted last year. The Food and Drug Administration received 1,503 reports of complications associated with the material from January 2008 to December 2010 when used to repair pelvic organ prolapse, the agency said in a safety warning July 13.
“Even the FDA seriously questions the safety and effectiveness of these mesh products, so they should be removed from the market immediately,” Michael Carome, deputy director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, said in a statement.
The FDA has also said it’s not clear whether the mesh is more effective than surgery without it. Jeff Secunda, a vice president at the Washington lobbying group the Advanced Medical Technology Association, said the mesh “is an important treatment option.”
Recent innovations have helped device makers standardize materials and made the procedure more consistent for surgeons, he said.
The material is made by at least nine manufacturers, according to the FDA.
Public Citizen wants the FDA to require manufacturers to recall non-absorbable surgical mesh devices and future versions to be subject to more stringent approval requirements.
To contact the reporter on this story: Anna Edney in Washington at aedney@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Adriel Bettelheim at abettelheim@bloomberg.net.