The Bard PerFix Plug is a cone-shaped polypropylene mesh plug used to repair inguinal (groin) hernias. People who received a PerFix Plug have filed claims alleging that the plug shrank and hardened, migrated, eroded into nearby tissue and caused chronic groin pain and repeated surgeries. In 2023, a federal jury awarded $500,000 in a PerFix Plug bellwether trial. If you had a PerFix Plug and suffered severe complications, you may have a claim for compensation.
What Is the Bard PerFix Plug?
The PerFix Plug is made by Bard through its Davol subsidiary. It is a pre-formed, three-dimensional cone of polypropylene mesh with a fluted outer layer and inner mesh layers. The surgeon pushes the plug into the hernia opening and places a separate flat polypropylene patch, called an onlay patch, over the area. The line includes the PerFix Plug, the PerFix Light Plug, which uses a lighter polypropylene mesh, and an extra-large version.
PerFix Plug Complications
People with PerFix Plugs have reported complications including:
- Chronic groin pain, including pain with walking or sitting
- Nerve damage, causing burning, numbness or shooting pain
- The plug shrinking and hardening into a mass, sometimes called a meshoma
- The plug migrating and eroding into nearby organs, such as the bladder or bowel
- Testicular pain or injury
- Infection
- Hernia recurrence
- Revision surgery to remove the plug
What the Lawsuits Allege
The lawsuits allege that the large amount of polypropylene packed into the plug triggers an intense inflammatory reaction, causing it to contract and harden, and that the plug can migrate and erode into surrounding tissue. They also allege that the polypropylene degrades inside the body and that Bard failed to warn surgeons and patients about these risks.
The PerFix Plug Bellwether Verdict
Stinson v. C.R. Bard, the third federal bellwether trial, involved an extra-large PerFix Plug implanted in 2015. On November 8, 2023, the jury returned a $500,000 verdict for the plaintiff. Bard later agreed to the October 2024 global settlement, and no further Bard trials have been scheduled.
Where the PerFix Plug Lawsuits Stand
PerFix Plug 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 PerFix Plug Claim
You may have a claim if:
- Your hernia repair used a Bard PerFix Plug, 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, Composix and Kugel and Sepramesh mesh. You can also read more about hernia mesh complications.
Common Questions
What is a PerFix Plug?
The PerFix Plug is a cone-shaped Bard polypropylene mesh plug used with a flat onlay patch to repair inguinal (groin) hernias.
What was the PerFix Plug verdict?
In November 2023, a federal jury in Ohio awarded $500,000 in Stinson v. C.R. Bard, the third Bard bellwether trial, which involved an extra-large PerFix Plug.
Can a PerFix Plug move after surgery?
The lawsuits allege that the plug can migrate and erode into nearby tissue and organs, such as the bladder or bowel, which can require surgery to remove it.
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.