Dan's Story: Routine Surgery Gone Wrong

Baton Rouge, LA"It hurts to lie down and it hurts to stand up," says Dan Johnson. "I just want my life back" Dan had hernia surgery that used a type of Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Patch now recalled by the FDA. Lawsuits have been filed across the country by patients and their families, claiming injury and, in some cases, even death.

A Sudden Infection
In early 2006, Dan was recovering from routine hernia surgery when suddenly his temperature shot up and his pelvis became red and inflamed. "You couldn't touch it; it was like it was on fire. My doctor told me it was a severe infection and sent me immediately to a surgeon."

The surgeon "took one look at it" and knew it was a raging infection. He admitted Dan to the hospital, where the infection was drained with a Pic line and Dan was rushed to emergency surgery to remove the mesh.

"That was the second surgery," Dan recalls, "It took longer to recover than the first, because of scar tissue buildup, and because we also had to fight the infection. And it hurt, a lot more...It was the week that I was supposed to be going back to work. Instead, I was in the hospital."

Dan, a heavy equipment mechanic, was concerned about his health as well as his finances. "I have specialized training and I earn more than my wife does. Now my wife's the only one working. She's been working double-time to support the family," which includes an 11-year old daughter.

Another Emergency Surgery
A few months after his second surgery, Dan woke up with a high fever, and severe inflammation of his pelvis. "It was a circle about 8 inches in diameter, just burning up. It happened overnight."

Dan was immediately rushed into life-saving surgery, and spent another week in the hospital. He was sent home for a lengthy recuperation. "Since the third surgery, I'm having more pain than ever. I've been sleeping in a reclining chair for months. I want to go back to work, but the doctors say I need to heal."

"After that third surgery, I was worried about my health, sure. But the bills were piling up, too. We've had to pay out-of-pocket for a lot of medications and medical care. Now we're starting to get cut-off notices..."

"I don't know how we'll get back on our feet," he says.

Aftermath
In the aftermath of the infections and surgeries, Dan now experiences chronic pain and discomfort. "With every surgery the pain's gotten worse. I just hope I don't have to go through this again."

Dan's doctors have advised him not to return to his profession of heavy equipment repair. After earning a 4-year degree in the specialized field, he worked for more than a decade to establish a strong reputation and a clientele. "When [President] Clinton got out of office, all the jobs went downhill here," he says. "I was one of the lucky ones... I had a good job. Then all this happened."

Dan is now preparing to sell his work tools and his heavy-load truck, which was the pride and joy of his life as a skilled tradesperson. "I won't need [the truck] anymore," he says. "I can't even go under it to fix it anymore, so I may as well sell it to help pay off the bills." In the meantime, he is getting legal help.