“I am on morphine patches every day,” the 64-year-old, who is from Liverpool, tells The Independent. “It stops me from going on nice walks. I used to walk everywhere, but now I just potter around the house. I no longer walk to the shops. The supermarket is about a 20-minute walk - my son takes me in the car.”
Ms Dunne explains she got vaginal mesh implanted 14 years ago but the mesh did not work and has instead left her in agony - adding that she has been on a waiting list to have the mesh removed since 2019.
She is not alone; earlier in the month it emerged 140 women who experienced distressing side effects after getting vaginal mesh implants have won payouts expected to stretch into millions of pounds in England.
The women, whose case is the first successful group claim in England, have come to a settlement with the manufacturers Johnson & Johnson, Bard, and Boston Scientific but the exact amount of the payments is yet to be revealed.
They claimed the implants, which are for stress urinary incontinence and prolapse, caused infection, bleeding, chronic pain, bladder and bowel perforations, and problems urinating, among other complications.
Many of the women were forced to have surgery to get the mesh removed and some still have ongoing issues as a result of the implants.
“A couple of months after I got it implanted, the back wall of the vagina fell,” Ms Dunne says. “I was in pain. The pain is terrible in my lower back, it is a real heaviness in the front of the vagina and a sharp pain. It is like a gnawing toothache - it is always there. I have this pain all the time.”
She explains she then had another operation to alleviate her incontinence and vaginal prolapse and more vaginal mesh was put in. Although she was okay for a period after this, she still suffered from incontinence so was perpetually going to the toilet, she says.
“Then I started having bladder infections,” Ms Dunne adds. “They were very painful. I went for a check-up about 10 years ago because I was in pain still - they said the mesh has eroded back in 2018 and it needs to come out.”
She then went on to develop breast cancer and was told by health professionals to focus on her cancer treatment before having the mesh removed, she adds.
“I’m still on a waiting list,” Ms Dunne, who has now been breast cancer-free for 11 years, says. “I have to go to Manchester because that is where the nearest doctor is who can remove it.”
When she finally made it into the hospital to get the mesh removed in March 2022, issues with her gallbladder meant they had to call off the operation, she recalls.
Ms Dunne explains she had her gallbladder out in summer 2022 - with doctors in Manchester saying she would be able to get her vaginal mesh removed after this.
“I called them in about November but they said I have to start all over again and see a GP and then a gynaecologist,” she adds. “It was so depressing having to start from scratch. I felt not listened to. They have made me wait for way too long to get the vaginal mesh removed. I have been waiting for over four years.”
She says she is on anti-incontinence medication which isn’t working and is in awful pain from the vaginal mesh - adding she was not in pain before getting it implanted.
“It is still the same pain,” Ms Dunne adds. “I am on morphine patches every day. It stops my joy for life. It gets me down sometimes. I am still wearing pads all the time for incontinence - It is embarrassing. The incontinence affects my ability to go out. I am up about two or three times in the night to use the loo.”
Ms Dunne says she is keen to make a legal claim over complications from her vaginal mesh but rules state you must submit your claim up to ten years after the item is made in the factory rather than from when you get the mesh fitted. She called for the UK government to urgently change these “unfair” rules and raise the time limit to 20 years.
Lisa Lunt, partner at Pogust Goodhead, the law firm representing the women over the vaginal mesh claims, told The Independent: “Women implanted with transvaginal mesh have experienced years of chronic pain and suffering.
“Hundreds of women were prevented from making a claim due to strict 10-year time limits that are in force from the date that the product was manufactured. It’s about time that the government took action to increase the time limits.
“As a firm, we were pleased to represent clients who had been previously turned down by other firms and reach a conclusion in their claims.”
A Call for Justice
The plight of women like June Dunne is not an isolated incident. Across the UK, thousands of women have endured years of pain and suffering due to complications from vaginal mesh implants. These implants, once hailed as a solution for urinary incontinence and prolapse, have left many women with debilitating conditions and a desperate search for relief.
The Struggle for Removal
While the spotlight often shines on the initial trauma caused by these implants, the subsequent struggle for removal surgery is often overlooked. Many women face lengthy waits, bureaucratic hurdles, and a lack of understanding from healthcare professionals.
The story of Sylvia Vickery, a woman who spent her life savings of £20,000 to have her mesh removed in the US after waiting years for surgery in Northern Ireland, is a chilling testament to the system's failures. Sling the Mesh campaigner Jackie Harvey, who herself endured years of pain and fatigue before finally having her mesh implant removed privately, expresses her horror at the lack of care and resources available to women seeking relief.
A System in Crisis
The mesh saga highlights a broken system where the focus seems to be on the product rather than the patient. While the UK government has taken some steps, such as establishing the Belfast Mesh Clinic, it is evident that more needs to be done.
The Need for Change
The legal victories of women in England offer a glimmer of hope, but they also underscore the need for a fundamental shift in how these cases are handled. Greater transparency, increased access to care, and a focus on patient-centered solutions are urgently needed.
A Call to Action
The stories of June Dunne, Sylvia Vickery, Jackie Harvey, and countless others are a stark reminder that the fight for justice for women affected by vaginal mesh implants is far from over. It is time for policymakers, healthcare providers, and the medical device industry to recognize the magnitude of this issue and take concrete steps towards a solution.
