Centers for Medicare & Medicaid services announced elective surgeries, non-essential medical, surgical & dental procedures delayed during the Novel Coronavirus.
On March 18, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid services (CMS) announced that all elective surgeries, non-essential medical, surgical, and dental procedures are delayed during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak.
COVID-19 has resulted in significant barriers for the neurologically injured victims of the vaginal mesh debacle that continues across the country as the few providers with the skill, knowledge, experience, and training to diagnose and treat pudendal, obturator, and ilioinguinal neuralgia caused by Ethicon, Boston Scientific, Coloplast, and American Medical Systems are now sometimes prevented from treating patients.
Dr. Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national pharmaceutical injury attorney, practicing physician, and Certified Life Care Planner states, “Over the past couple weeks I have received word that neurologically injured clients with long awaited appointments with leaders in the field of pelvic pain, therapeutic injections, and surgical procedures including pudendal nerve decompression have been unable to be treated because of COVID-19. Obviously, the rationing of medical resources and diversion of medical personnel in preparation of waves of patients in acute respiratory failure is affecting women with mesh related conditions. It is anticipated this may continue for months. Couple this with the risk of travel that likely will continue until a vaccine has been developed for COVID—19, this very vulnerable population of women will be further compromised.”
“The manufacturers may attempt to delay discovery—suggesting a delay is necessary because of the virus. Our position will remain…” – Dr. Greg Vigna
Dr. Vigna adds, “These are desperate women who have been stuck in the MDL for years, awaiting remand, only recently learning that their symptoms of tailbone pain, pain with sitting, clitoral numbness, and inability to wear tight pants are caused by nerve damage from the arms of transobturator slings. Others are newly injured women from retropubic slings with pain from the ilioinguinal nerve. The women new and old simply want to get better physically.”
As to COVID-19 and its effect on the litigation, Dr. Vigna says, “The manufacturers may attempt to delay discovery—suggesting a delay is necessary because of the virus. Our position will remain that litigation should go forward through various alternative means if necessary so that future care and the cost of that care for the catastrophically injured can be timely presented to the jury. Our clients still need to try and become medically stable and they will need treatment to
their life expectancy. That is certain.”
Greg Vigna, MD, JD, operates a California and Washington DC law firm and has teamed up with Martin Baughman, a national pharmaceutical injury trial law firm from Dallas, Texas, and together they represent women with catastrophic pain syndromes whose claims are proceeding down the path to justice.
To learn more about the neurological injuries get your copy of Dr. Vigna’s book, Chronic Pelvic Pain at https://vignalawgroup.com
For articles, video resources, and information, visit the Pudendal Neuralgia Educational Portal (https://pudendalportal.lifecare123.com/) or https://vignalawgroup.com
