What is the campaign about?
Mesh implants are used by surgeons to reinforce weak tissue in operations for prolapse, stress incontinence (male and female), hernias, and some breast reconstructions. They are also used in some veterinary surgeries.
Most surgical mesh is a permanent polypropylene implant. Over time, it can harden, fragment, or twist, causing severe complications such as pain, infections, nerve and organ damage, autoimmune disorders, and allergic reactions. Reported conditions include UTIs, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, lupus, psoriasis, and food intolerances. Similar issues are seen with biomesh made from pig or cow tissue.
Complications may arise immediately or years later, making the true scale of harm difficult to track. Removal is major, complex surgery and sometimes impossible. See our Surveys page for details of complications.
Pelvic mesh was introduced with minimal evidence and, for years, lacked a specific hospital code, meaning NHS data vastly underestimates those affected. New products continue to be approved under flimsy approval systems such as Europe’s “Equivalence” and the US 510(k), which allow devices to be cleared without robust safety trials. One Oxford professor even demonstrated that supermarket orange netting could meet approval criteria.
Globally, long-term complications remain poorly recorded.
For background reading on the role of industry funding in the mesh scandal this article by Jonathan Gornall describes how mesh became a four-letter word.
Campaign – what we do
Financial redress; ongoing lobbying for compensation ℹ️ℹ️
Improved pathways of care for all mesh injured patients ℹ️
Advocate for Sunshine transparency legislation modelled on the US system ℹ️ℹ️
Champion all nine First Do No Harm recommendations, a report we led on ℹ️ℹ️
Secured the Medical Devices Outcomes Registry to track implant outcomes ℹ️ℹ️
Influenced landmark APPRAISE study tracking patient outcomes after pelvic surgeries ℹ️ℹ️
International awareness highlighting a need for fully informed patient consent ℹ️ℹ️
Bad science; empower patients, policymakers and media to spot flawed research ℹ️ℹ️
Promote mandatory reporting by doctors to the MHRA Yellow Card system ℹ️
Advocate for fair legal time limits for harmed patients #raisethelimit ℹ️
📧Get in touch: slingthemesh@gmail.com
Latest from Sling The Mesh
- A 20‑minute operation that changed my life
I had a TVT‑O bladder mesh sling in 2014, and within two weeks of having it fitted I started having problems. I went back to my specialist, but was told they had never heard of any issues. Instead, I was put on antidepressants and brought back in repeatedly for surgeries to cut bits of the mesh out. I was left […] - The hidden harm of mesh – my story, my struggle
I had a TVT mesh sling for bladder leaks and a mesh prolapse repair in 2013. When I woke from the operation, I came round screaming with unbearable pain down my left leg. I was told it was nerve pain and would settle in time – but it never did. For the next six years I kept going back to […] - Women demand compensation
Calls are being made for the government to commit to a compensation scheme as the second anniversary approaches of a landmark report setting out steps needed to support women harmed by health treatments. February 2026 marks the second anniversary of the Hughes Report, a defining moment in the fight for compensation and justice for women harmed by pelvic mesh medical […] - Finding strength again: my journey through mesh trauma
Eileen says that living with Meyer–Rokitansky Syndrome has shaped her entire life. She was born without a uterus or reproductive organs, and for many years coped as best she could. But everything changed when she developed a prolapse and underwent mesh repair surgery. Here she tells her story. Instead of helping, the surgery left me with terrible pain – the […] - How industry opposed safeguarding measures – a brief history
After the 1968 Medicines Act, people assumed new drugs were properly tested and safe. Doctors were asked to report side effects through the Yellow Card scheme, but because reporting is voluntary and time‑consuming, most problems – then and today – were not recorded. This meant early warning signs were often missed. Some experts suggested stronger safety measures, like testing new […] - Mesh pain was like a knitting needle pushed through my body
Kerry is a mum of three boys and had pelvic prolapse repair initially in 2010. However it didn’t work effectively and a year later was suffering with the same heavy, aching and uncomfortable feeling in her pelvis but much worse. After many tests by several consultants she was given pelvic mesh implants in 2014 at the age of 32 due […] - New mesh study will miss the true scale of harm
A study by researchers in the Netherlands is set to track 50 patients who developed symptoms of autoimmune conditions following hernia and pelvic mesh surgery – which should be a step towards understanding potential risks associated with polypropylene mesh. HOWEVER, we agree with expert concerns that the proposed study methods for diagnosing ASIA syndrome (Autoimmune/Autoinflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants) could […] - No language left behind – global awareness of surgical mesh harm
For years, women harmed by pelvic mesh have endured pain and systemic silence. Their voices have been dismissed, their suffering denied, and the true scale hidden as most countries fail to record complications. Language barriers leave many without access to vital information, support, or justice. That’s why we’re launching No Language Left Behind – a campaign to ensure mesh complications […] - Our 2025 Year in Review2025 wasn’t easy – it was a year of relentless tenacity, countless hours of campaigning, and moments where our voices were ignored. Thank you to everyone who stood with us. Our voices are important in shaping policy, influencing research priorities, and ensuring that patient safety is a central focus in healthcare Key Milestones A decade of advocacy 2025 marked our […]
- Government says no to sunshine legislation – a major setback for patient safety and transparency
By Ruth MacLeod and Kath Sansom Just two weeks after bowing to industry pressure on its pharma pricing deal, the government has now rejected calls for sunshine legislation – a move that would have forced industry to openly disclose the millions it gives to the health sector every year. The announcement was made as Parliamentarians logged out for Christmas -a […] - Hear Me See Me – a journey of art, advocacy and healing
By Amanda Robinson of Mesh Survivors Ireland Art has always been a way to tell stories that words alone cannot carry. For me this truth became deeply personal during my Fine Art degree journey – a journey that spanned five years, marked by resilience, setbacks, and triumphs. In 2024, I graduated with a first-class BA (Hons) in Fine Art, but […] - Talented Falmouth University students create powerful Sling The Mesh animation
We are grateful to the talented young creatives at Falmouth University who created a mesh awareness video, now live on our Sling The Mesh YouTube channel. This incredible project began when we were contacted by the university’s animation teaching team who invited me to speak to their students as part of their coursework I travelled down to Falmouth and gave […]
