Flintshire woman's death linked to surgical mesh implant

Sara Baines, 34, died after an act of self-harm in September, 2022. 

An inquest was told that she suffered from chronic pain due to complications resulting from surgical mesh that was implanted after she gave birth in 2011. 

And her mother, Alison Sharrock, has now spoken out - saying she was let down by the health system. 

She said: "When she gave birth to Mischa (now aged 11) she suffered serious complications which left her incontinent. 

"Wrexham Maelor Hospital initially didn't get back in touch with us to talk about options. A year later Sara was offered the mesh surgery - but there was no mention of the potential complications or health defects she could suffer as a result of it."

Mesh is a generic name for metallic or polymeric (plastic) implantable surgical devices used as a scaffold to reinforce weaknesses in tissue or bone throughout the human body.

There are several common conditions that it is used to treat, which include hernia, prolapse, stress urinary incontinence and breast reconstruction. They are implanted into men, women and children.

Sara pictured with her daughter, Mischa. (Image: Family photo)

However, thousands of women who have had the surgery suffer from complications which cause chronic pain. Sara was one of them.

"She had to have a hysterectomy aged just 28 as they thought that would solve it," Miss Sharrock said.

"She had awful skin conditions relating to it, and she could barely walk without a stick. It left her disabled."

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Miss Sharrock said Sara was largely prescribed with morphine - but could only take it sparingly. 

"She'd only take it when my partner and I were looking after Mischa," she said. 

"I could tell when she'd taken the morphine as her speech was slurred."

Miss Sharrock said whenever Sara visited her GP and Ysbyty Glan Clwyd she was "fobbed off" and "gaslighted". 

"On one occasion the doctor didn't even know what TVT mesh was," she said.

"They just made her feel like she was a hysterical, neurotic woman because they couldn't find a cause for her pain. I have just had the police deliver notes that Sara left. Her final words were 'I'm so sorry - I just couldn't do it anymore, I tried so hard'. I'm so heartbroken."

Miss Sharrok said her daughter was her "best friend". 

"We were so close," she said. "She was the best mum to Mischa - who misses her every single day."

Sara had planned to go to university to train to become a mental health counsellor. 

Kath Sansom, founder of Sling The Mesh which has almost 10,000 members suffering irreversible pan and complications from surgical mesh implants, said: "Our hearts go out to Sara's family. Nine out of 10 people in our support group were not told any risks of having a plastic mesh permanently implanted.

"Furthermore, around seven in 10 were ignored, belittled or gas lighted by their healthcare professional when they tried to raise concerns and seek support for debilitating pain, infections and autoimmune diseases.

"Unsurprisingly our latest survey shows 1 in 4 on the page have suicidal thoughts or have considered taking their life. It is bad enough to be innocently harmed from a treatment you were assured was safe but to then face a wall of institutional denial makes that suffering even worse."

Sara Baines (Image: Family photo)

She added: "Women need timely support and empathetic care for their physical and mental health as well as financial redress to compensate them for the many losses they have suffered as a result of a treatment option that was aggressively marketed by industry, then pushed on the NHS for two decades."

Maxine Cooper, from Connah's Quay, also suffers from complications resulting from a mesh implant. She knew Sara and has long campaigned to raise awareness of the damage it can cause. 

"I was truly horrified and heartbroken to hear of Sara's passing - it is such a tragedy," she said.

"I was supporting her after we were put in touch with each other. This goes to show how much pain women are in, the pain is horrendous and their appointments are cancelled and the waiting times are much too long."

Maxine said she went private because the pain was "unbearable" and the morphine she was prescribed "does nothing". 

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She said: "Lessons must be learnt here, that's the fifth suicide of someone who's had the mesh implanted I know of since September. This has to stop now and action is required."

Paying tribute to Sara, Maxine said: "Sara was beautiful and adored her family - what a very sad loss. Sara was failed by the NHS like so many women who are mesh injured."

Maxine is considering going to America to see a specialist surgeon to have it all removed. She said it feels like "broken glass" inside her, leaving women unable to walk and even to sit down comfortably. 

She added: "They have stolen our core - our womanhood. When are they going to take action?

"Years on and no change, no compensation and everything is such a big fight and an uphill struggle. Some women do not have the strength to continue with it all."

Baroness Julia Cumberlege led a review into the use of the mesh in 2018. She recommended to Ministers in England that there should be a “pause” in the use of surgical mesh for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

Baroness Cumberlege said: “Sara’s tragic story is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of mesh complications. I have heard from many hundreds of women whose lives have been ruined by the implanting of this medical device.

"The damage is horrendous - searing pain, disability and mental health problems. Very sadly, in Sara’s case, it has contributed to the loss of a life. This is a national scandal. Women suffering mesh injuries urgently need financial redress.”

Dr Nick Lyons, executive medical director at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Sara’s family and loved ones for their loss.

“We would encourage Miss Sharrock to contact us directly so we can look into her concerns. We recognise the need to ensure that mesh surgery is only suitable for a very small number of women.

“Before any surgery takes place, clinicians will have an in-depth discussion with the patient to go through their options. A multidisciplinary clinical team will then assess if surgery would be appropriate.

“Surgery is then only approved by myself on a case by case basis before it is able to go ahead.”