Bard’s Composix and Kugel meshes are layered polypropylene and ePTFE patches used to repair ventral and incisional hernias. Some Kugel patches were recalled in 2005 through 2007 after reports that their memory recoil ring could break and puncture the bowel. Composix and Kugel products are also part of the current Bard hernia mesh litigation. If you had a Composix or Kugel mesh and suffered severe complications, you may have a claim for compensation.
What Are Composix and Kugel Meshes?
Bard, through its Davol subsidiary, makes several related meshes that combine a polypropylene layer, which faces the abdominal wall, with an ePTFE layer, which faces the bowel:
- Composix, Composix E/X and Composix L/P: flat, layered meshes for ventral and incisional hernias, including laparoscopic repairs
- Composix Kugel Hernia Patch: a layered patch with a flexible memory recoil ring that helps it spring open and lie flat
- Kugel Hernia Patch and Modified Kugel Hernia Patch: polypropylene patches with a memory ring, used mainly for groin hernias
The Composix Kugel Recalls
Beginning in December 2005, Bard recalled certain extra-large Composix Kugel patches, a Class I recall, the FDA’s most serious category, because the memory recoil ring could break. A broken ring can puncture the bowel or cause a chronic intestinal fistula. The recall was extended to other oval sizes, and in January 2007 Bard recalled large circular patches for the same problem. Thousands of lawsuits over the recalled Kugel patches were consolidated in federal court in Rhode Island, and in 2011 Bard agreed to pay $184 million to settle about 2,600 of them.
Composix and Kugel Complications
People with Composix and Kugel meshes have reported complications including:
- Bowel perforation or intestinal fistula
- Bowel obstruction
- The bowel or other organs adhering to the mesh
- Chronic abdominal pain
- Infection, including infection that requires removal of the mesh
- Mesh migration or contraction
- Hernia recurrence
- Repeated revision surgeries
What the Lawsuits Allege
Today’s Composix and Kugel claims are part of the broader Bard litigation, which alleges that the polypropylene in Bard’s meshes degrades and contracts inside the body and triggers chronic inflammation, and that Bard failed to warn surgeons and patients. Claims involving the Kugel memory ring also allege that the ring can break or bend, damaging the bowel.
Where the Composix and Kugel Lawsuits Stand
Composix and Kugel claims are part of the Bard hernia mesh litigation: the federal multidistrict litigation, In re: Davol, Inc./C.R. Bard, Inc., Polypropylene Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2846, before Chief Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. in the Southern District of Ohio, and the consolidated cases in Rhode Island state court.
In October 2024, Bard’s parent company, Becton, Dickinson and Company, announced an agreement to resolve the vast majority of its hernia mesh lawsuits. The terms are confidential, and payments are being made over several years. The Bard MDL is still open, with 23,324 pending cases as of October 1, 2026, and new claims are still being filed.
Because of the global settlement, new Bard claims must meet newer and more demanding procedures. Among other steps, a newly filed case must produce the medical records identifying the mesh within 60 days and a report from a licensed physician tying the injuries to the mesh within 90 days, or it can be dismissed. For that reason, we are still reviewing select Bard claims with severe injuries, such as multiple revision surgeries, extended hospitalization or bowel damage. For the latest, see our Bard hernia mesh lawsuit update.
Who May Have a Composix or Kugel mesh Claim
You may have a claim if:
- Your hernia repair used a Bard Composix or Kugel mesh, which your operative report will show
- You have had severe complications, such as two or more revision surgeries, an extended hospital stay, or bowel damage like an obstruction, perforation, fistula or bowel resection
Every state sets a deadline, called the statute of limitations, for filing a claim, and it often runs from when you knew or should have known your injury was related to the mesh. Doyle APC has handled Bard hernia mesh claims for over a decade, and you pay nothing unless we win. Compensation can cover medical expenses, past and future, along with pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and a spouse’s loss of consortium.
Other Bard mesh claims involve Ventralex and Ventralight ST, 3DMax, PerFix Plug and Sepramesh mesh. You can also read more about hernia mesh complications.
Common Questions
Was the Composix Kugel patch recalled?
Yes. Beginning in December 2005, Bard recalled certain extra-large Composix Kugel patches in a Class I recall because the memory recoil ring could break and damage the bowel. The recall was extended to other sizes, and Bard recalled more patches for the same problem in January 2007.
Are Composix and Kugel meshes part of the current Bard lawsuits?
Yes. Composix, Composix E/X, Composix L/P, Kugel, Modified Kugel and Composix Kugel products are among the Bard meshes named in the current Bard hernia mesh litigation.
What if my Kugel patch was implanted many years ago?
Complications can appear years after surgery. Deadlines vary by state and often run from when you learned your injury was related to the mesh, so it is important to have your claim reviewed promptly.
Can I still file a Bard hernia mesh claim?
Yes. The Bard MDL is still open and new claims are still being filed, but new claims must meet strict requirements, including a physician’s report within 90 days. That is why we are reviewing select Bard claims with severe injuries.
What counts as a severe Bard hernia mesh injury?
Severe injuries include multiple revision surgeries, an extended hospital stay, and bowel damage such as an obstruction, perforation, fistula or bowel resection.