Aaron Menendez endured two years following implantation of a Bard Composix Kugel mesh hernia patch before he suffered a serious infection and died this past September. Soon after his implantation, the patch was recalled. Menendez’s autopsy results confirm that the Bard Composix Kugel mesh was the cause of death. Now, Menendez’s family want others to know about this potentially fatal medical device.
Over 700,000 hernia repair surgeries are performed in the U.S. annually. Hernias are areas where an organ breaks through weakened or torn tissue. Before the Davol Composix Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch, repair was conducted by tension repair surgery, which could cause problems if muscle tissue re-tore. The patch—developed to reduce re-tears—is constructed of two mesh pieces surrounding a plastic ring. The surgeon makes a tension-free repair using a small incision and places the folded patch behind the hernia. The spring-like ring opens the patch where it lays flat behind the incision allowing internal tissue to grow and repair the tear or weakness, resolving the hernia.