Revision surgery is a second operation to fix problems from an earlier hernia repair. When a hernia mesh fails, surgeons may need to repair a hernia that came back, free the bowel from the mesh, or take out part or all of the mesh. For many people with a hernia mesh claim, revision surgery is the turning point, both medically and in how the claim is valued. Here is what revision surgery involves, why it matters for a Covidien or Bard claim, and what records to keep.
Why Hernia Mesh Is Revised or Removed
The FDA lists pain, infection, hernia recurrence, adhesions, bowel obstruction, bleeding, fistula, seroma and perforation as the most common problems after hernia repair, and adds two that are specific to mesh: migration, when the mesh moves, and shrinkage, when it contracts. Permanent mesh stays in the body indefinitely, so when one of these problems is caused by the mesh, more surgery is often the only fix.
The reasons for revision surgery usually include:
- Infection. An infected mesh often does not clear with antibiotics alone and may have to come out.
- Bowel adhesions or obstruction. The bowel can stick to the mesh, causing blockage, severe pain, nausea and vomiting.
- A hernia that came back. A hernia can come back after a mesh repair, and fixing it usually means another operation. A recurrence does not always mean the mesh failed, though, since a hernia can also come back because the surrounding tissue is weak.
- Chronic pain. Pain that does not improve, sometimes from mesh that has shrunk, moved or trapped a nerve.
- Erosion or fistula. The mesh can wear into nearby organs or create an abnormal opening between the bowel and the skin or another organ.
Our page on hernia mesh complications covers the warning signs of mesh failure and how doctors diagnose it.
What Revision Surgery Involves
Revision surgery ranges from repairing a recurrent hernia, sometimes with a new mesh, to removing the original mesh entirely. Removal is often harder than the first surgery, because mesh is designed to grow into the surrounding tissue. If the mesh has stuck to the bowel, the surgeon may need to separate it or remove a section of bowel.
Surgeons may take out the whole mesh or only part of it. Removing all of it may lower the risk that an infection returns, but it can leave a larger opening in the abdominal wall to close. Some patients have the mesh removed first and the hernia repaired in a later operation once the area has healed.
Recovery can be long. In a 2026 study of 64 patients who had infected hernia mesh removed, all through open surgery, the average hospital stay was about eight days and wounds took about seven weeks on average to heal. More than a third of those patients later had their hernia come back, and recurrence was far more common after removal of mesh from the abdominal wall than from the groin.
Why Revision Surgery Matters for a Claim
In the Covidien and Bard lawsuits, a revision surgery, or a doctor’s recommendation for one, is often what separates a claim with strong value from one without. It shows the mesh failed in a way that needed treatment, and the operative and pathology reports from that surgery often describe what the surgeon found, such as a mesh stuck to the bowel or a mesh that had shrunk or broken down.
What matters most is what the surgery shows about the mesh. A revision surgery generally supports a claim when the surgeon had to repair or remove the mesh itself, in whole or in part, or had to treat a problem the mesh caused, such as bowel stuck to the mesh, an infected mesh or a mesh that shrank or moved. A surgery that only repaired a recurrent hernia is generally not enough on its own, because a hernia can come back from weakness in the surrounding tissue rather than a problem with the mesh. In that case, the claim depends on whether your medical records show the hernia came back because the mesh failed.
The first federal Covidien bellwether trial shows how this plays out. Larry Patterson received a Covidien Symbotex mesh in 2017, developed a bowel obstruction from his bowel sticking to the mesh in 2020 along with a recurrent hernia, and needed reconstructive surgery. On August 4, 2026, a federal jury in Boston awarded $88 million. Covidien’s post-trial motions to reduce or overturn the verdict are still pending before Judge Patti B. Saris, and the next bellwether trials are set for January 11, 2027 and March 29, 2027, the second involving ProGrip mesh. See our latest Covidien update for more.
Revision surgery matters even more for Bard claims. Bard agreed in October 2024 to resolve most of its hernia mesh lawsuits, so new Bard claims face newer, more demanding procedures, though the Bard lawsuit is still open for new filings. That is why we are still reviewing select Bard claims with severe injuries, such as multiple revision surgeries, extended hospitalization or bowel damage. See our latest Bard update.
As of November 2, 2026, the federal Covidien hernia mesh lawsuit had 2,486 pending cases and the federal Bard lawsuit had 23,299, according to the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
Records to Keep From Your Revision Surgery
The records from each revision surgery are some of the most important in a hernia mesh claim. Ask for the complete surgical record, starting with your hospital’s patient portal, and request anything missing from the medical records department.
- Operative report. The surgeon’s account of what was found and done, such as adhesions, a recurrent hernia or mesh removal.
- Pathology report. If mesh or tissue was removed, this report describes what was sent to the lab.
- Implant records. These identify your original mesh and any new mesh placed during the revision.
- Hospital and follow-up records. These show the length of your stay and the recovery that followed.
If a mesh removal is planned, you can ask your surgeon and the hospital to save the removed mesh rather than discard it. If you do not know which mesh you received, our guide on how to find out which hernia mesh you have explains where to look.
Doyle APC has handled hernia mesh claims for over a decade and currently represents clients nationwide in the Covidien and Bard hernia mesh lawsuits. Much of our work is tracing a client’s complications back to the mesh through the full medical records, and if you have trouble getting your records, we can help request them. Compensation in these claims can cover medical expenses, past and future, along with pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and a spouse’s loss of consortium. You pay nothing unless we recover.
Common Questions
Do I need revision surgery to file a hernia mesh claim?
Not always, but most Covidien claims involve a revision surgery, or a doctor’s recommendation for one, in which the mesh itself was repaired or removed in whole or in part, or a problem caused by the mesh was treated. A surgery that only repaired a recurrent hernia is generally not enough unless your medical records show the hernia came back because the mesh failed. New Bard claims generally need severe injuries such as multiple revision surgeries or bowel damage. If you have had complications, we can review your records to see whether you have a claim.
What is the difference between revision surgery and mesh removal?
Revision surgery is any operation to fix problems from an earlier hernia repair, such as repairing a hernia that came back. Mesh removal is one type of revision surgery, where the surgeon takes out part or all of the mesh.
My doctor recommended mesh removal but I have not had it. Can I still have a claim?
Possibly. A doctor’s recommendation for revision or removal surgery can support a claim. Keep the records of that recommendation, including office notes and imaging.
Should I keep the mesh that was removed?
If a removal is planned, you can ask your surgeon and the hospital to save the removed mesh instead of discarding it. The pathology report from the surgery is also important to keep.
Does having more than one revision surgery affect my claim?
Multiple revision surgeries usually reflect a more serious injury, which can affect the value of a claim. For Bard claims, multiple revisions are one of the severe injuries we are still reviewing.
Is there a deadline to file a hernia mesh claim?
Yes. Every state sets a deadline, called the statute of limitations. Deadlines vary and often run from when you knew or should have known your injury was related to the mesh, so it is important to have your claim reviewed as soon as possible.