Sentara admits implanting recalled product in patient

-Fox News

06/05/2008 - A woman called FOX 43 after she says Sentara Virginia Beach General used a recalled product in her surgery. Tuesday, the hospital admitted to the mistake.

The mesh patch was recalled by the FDA because it was breaking up inside people, causing serious injury. Now a Virginia Beach woman fears the same will happen to her.

Judith Coyne says she's "fearful, very fearful" because her condition may be a life or death situation.

That fear became reality Tuesday. For month's Judith Coyne suspected the pain she felt was coming from a surgery she'd had almost a year ago. Coyne had a hernia operation at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital and says she has excruciating pain throughout her body.

According to her medical records, doctors used a hernia patch during the surgery. A product which was recalled six months before her procedure.

When we first contacted, a Sentara spokesperson said the kugel mesh made by Davol Incorporated was not the same lot number as the one recalled, but late Tuesday afternoon Sentara released this statement: "Based on additional research that we conducted today...We learned that the hernia mesh patch used on Ms. Coyne was indeed part of the product recall. We regret the information we had yesterday was incorrect. We have contacted Ms. Coyne's surgeon and requested that he conduct a follow up examination and evaluation so that we can provide any assistance possible to address her pain issues."

"Relief...Total relief...Because no one, but no one believed me. Everybody kept thinking it's in your head, you're crazy, you're imagining pain," says Coyne after hearing the news of the hospital's mistake.

Judith says she doesn't know what to do next. Doctors tell her if they try to take the mesh patch out it could kill her. But Judith says she now knows the truth about her condition thanks to FOX 43.

Judith says this whole situation has her worrying every night and just wants the constant pain she's in to go away.