Ministry of Health asks suppliers to stop marketing the mesh until they have proven its safetyNew Zealand has become the first major country to effectively ban vaginal mesh implants in response to safety concerns over the surgery. In New Zealand, the use of mesh implants to treat urinary incontinence, which accounts for the vast majority of mesh operations, will also be effectively banned, according to an announcement posted on the government website. But many doctors maintain that mesh surgery to treat stress urinary incontinence can have advantages over traditional surgery and believe that these procedures should continue to be offered. Owen Smith, a shadow cabinet minister, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on surgical mesh implants, described the announcement as “hugely significant”. “It’s the first major country to effectively ban mesh for all pelvic operations.

Source: The Guardian December 12, 2017 15:56 UTC