If you or a loved one suffered complications or injuries after having breast surgery (reconstruction, revision breast surgery, lift, augmentation, reduction, etc.) that involved an internal bra breast mesh implant, you may be entitled to recover compensation from an internal bra breast mesh lawsuit case or settlement claim.
A team of medical device injury lawyers and class action attorneys is investigating claims of women who suffered from complications or injuries after having breast surgery involving an internal bra breast mesh implant.
An internal bra is a surgical support technique used during certain breast surgeries (e.g., breast reconstruction, revision breast surgery, breast lifts, breast augmentations, breast reductions, etc.) where a surgeon places surgical mesh (i.e., “breast mesh”) made of synthetic plastic or biological tissue (such as acellular dermal matrices or ADM) inside the breast to form an internal scaffold or sling to help support tissue, hold implants in position and/or provide internal structural support to prevent the breasts from sagging (ptosis) or bottoming out.
However, the FDA has not cleared or approved any surgical mesh for use with breast implants or in breast reconstruction surgery and has not reviewed potential benefits and risks for these uses. Instead, such surgical mesh has been used “off-label” by surgeons in breast surgeries. Although surgical mesh has been approved for use in certain urogynecologic surgical procedures (e.g., pelvic floor surgeries involving transvaginal mesh and transabdominal mesh), hernia repair surgeries, and/or other general and reconstructive surgeries for soft tissue reinforcement, as the FDA has warned “There are no surgical mesh products cleared or approved by the FDA for use in breast surgery, including in augmentation or reconstruction.” Yet, hundreds of thousands of women are estimated to have received surgical mesh in their breast tissue during breast reconstruction, augmentation or other breast surgery.
Unfortunately, internal bra breast mesh has been alleged to cause serious complications in some patients, including chronic pain, infections, abscesses, seroma (chronic fluid buildup around the mesh), inflammation, capsular contracture, mesh implant failures (erosion, migration, rupture, etc.), nerve damage, tissue death, scarring and the need for additional surgery to remove, replace or repair the breast mesh.
Injured women (and, in some cases, their family members) are now coming forward and filing internal bra breast mesh lawsuits seeking compensation and justice for the harm and suffering they may have endured after having breast surgery that involved a breast mesh implant.
Internal Bra Breast Mesh Injury Lawsuit: Overview
- What Are The Internal Bra Breast Mesh Lawsuits About?
- What Is An Internal Bra Procedure?
- What Is A Breast Mesh Implant?
- What Type of Breast Surgery Has Breast Mesh Been Used In?
- Who May Qualify For a Breast Mesh Lawsuit or Settlement?
- What Injuries May Be Linked to Breast Mesh?
- What Are Potential Complications From Breast Mesh?
- What Companies Have Been Sued Over Breast Mesh?
- What Mesh Brands Are Involved In The Internal Bra Litigation?
- Can I Recover Compensation From A Breast Mesh Injury Lawsuit?
- Is There A Deadline To File an Internal Bra Breast Mesh Lawsuit?
- Request A Free Case Review From A Breast Mesh Injury Lawyer
Internal Bra Breast Mesh Lawsuits & Settlements
Internal bra breast mesh lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include claims of women who had breast surgery involving an internal bra breast mesh implant procedure and suffered serious internal bra breast mesh problems, injuries, side-effects or complications including, among others:
- Corrective or revision surgery
- Multiple additional surgeries
- Surgery to remove mesh implant
- Surgery to repair/correct mesh implant
- Surgery to remove scar tissue (capsulectomy)
- Tissue reconstruction or flap surgery
- Additional/secondary breast reconstruction surgery
- Additional surgery recommended
- Mesh permanently fused to body
- Inability to fully remove mesh
- Breast mesh erosion (breaking through skin/tissue)
- Breast mesh migration
- Breast mesh detachment
- Breast mesh displacement
- Breast mesh rupture
- Breast reconstruction failure
- Infection
- Abscess
- Inflammation
- Red breast syndrome
- Chronic pain
- Nerve damage
- Fluid buildup (seroma)
- Blood collecting in tissue (hematoma)
- Tissue death (necrosis)
- Scarring
- Capsular contracture (hardening of scar tissue)
- Deformity
- Distorted or lopsided breasts
- Drooping or asymmetric breasts
- Nipple-areola complex (NAC) loss
- Delayed wound healing
- Interference with mammograms/breast imaging
- Other internal bra breast mesh injuries or complications
If you or a loved one suffered injury or complications due to an internal bra breast mesh product, you may be eligible to recover compensation from an internal bra breast mesh lawsuit or settlement case.
Breast Mesh Internal Bra Injury Lawsuit Complaints
Women who claim to have suffered injury or complications after having breast surgery involving an internal bra breast mesh implant are filing lawsuits seeking to recover money damages for injuries suffered, including infection, chronic pain, inflammation, mesh implant failure (migration, erosion, detachment, rupture, etc.), tissue or nerve damage, breast deformity, and revision or removal surgery, among others.
Plaintiffs in the internal bra mesh lawsuit complaints may allege, among other things, that Defendants knew or should have known of the potential dangers, risks and adverse health effects of using surgical mesh for internal bra breast surgery, but failed to warn plaintiffs or their doctors of the health risks. Plaintiff may also allege that Defendants marketed or promoted mesh products for use in breast surgery, despite not having performed adequate safety testing or receiving FDA approval.
The breast mesh lawsuit cases may assert legal claims for, among other things, negligence, strict liability design defect, strict liability manufacturing defect, strict liability failure to warn, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, and loss of consortium.
Companies Sued For Internal Bra Breast Mesh Injury
Defendants named in internal bra breast mesh lawsuits may include manufacturers, sellers and/or distributors of internal bras, such as:
- Becton Dickinson
- Galatea Surgical
- C.R. Bard
- Integra LifeSciences
- Allergan
- LifeCell Corporation
- Ethicon
- Johnson & Johnson
- Other internal bra breast mesh defendants
Product Brands Involved In Internal Bra Lawsuits
Internal bra lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include breast mesh lawsuit cases and settlement claims involving the following breast mesh brands, among others:
- GalaFLEX
- GalaFORM
- GalaSHAPE
- Phasix
- Phasix ST
- DuraSorb monofilament mesh
- AlloDerm regenerative tissue matrix
- Strattice reconstructive tissue matrix
- FlexHD biologic mesh
- AlloMax surgical mesh
- SurgiMend biologic mesh
- Other breast mesh internal bra brands
Breast Surgery That May Involve Breast Mesh
Breast mesh implants have been used in a wide range of breast surgeries, including breast reconstruction, revision breast surgery, breast lift, breast augmentation, and breast reduction surgeries:
- Breast Reconstruction (Post-Mastectomy): A breast reconstruction is a surgical procedure performed after a mastectomy or lumpectomy to rebuild the shape and look of the breast using implants or the patient’s own tissue. In post-mastectomy cases, breast mesh acts as a structural scaffold to replace lost tissue, securely holding a breast implant in place and helping to create a natural-looking curve where the breast was removed.
- Revision Breast Surgery: A revision breast surgery is a secondary operation performed to correct, improve, or replace the results of a previous breast surgery that has experienced complications or aesthetic changes over time. This procedure uses mesh as a corrective tool to reinforce “thinned out” areas or to rebuild the internal walls of the breast pocket when an older implant has shifted, slipped, or caused tissue damage.
- Breast Lift (Mastopexy): A breast list is a surgery to remove excess skin and tighten the surrounding tissue to raise and reshape sagging breasts for a more youthful contour. During a breast lift, the breast mesh is positioned like a hammock underneath the breast tissue to provide permanent internal suspension, preventing the skin from stretching back out and the breast from sagging again over time.
- Breast Augmentation: A breast augmentation is a cosmetic procedure designed to increase the size, fullness, and symmetry of the breasts through the surgical insertion of implants. In certain breast augmentations, breast mesh is used to provide extra “foundation” for patients with very thin natural tissue or those receiving larger implants that require more support than the skin can provide on its own.
- Breast Reduction: A breast reduction is a procedure that involves the removal of excess breast fat, glandular tissue, and skin to achieve a breast size more in proportion with the body and to alleviate physical discomfort. In breast reduction surgery, breast mesh is often used to reinforce the lower pole of the breast, ensuring that the remaining tissue stays elevated and maintains its new, smaller shape against the pull of gravity.
Internal Bra Breast Mesh Complications
The use of breast mesh for internal bra surgery can potentially lead to various complications and injuries, including:
- Biological Incompatibility & Rejection of Mesh: The body does not always accept the breast mesh as a natural extension of its own tissue. In some cases, the immune system triggers a Foreign Body Response, leading to chronic inflammation as it attempts to isolate the material. If the patient’s own blood vessels and cells fail to grow into the mesh (process known as revascularization) the mesh remains a “dead” piece of material. This failure to integrate prevents the mesh from becoming a living part of the breast anatomy, eventually leading to its degradation or rejection.
- Mechanical Failure Of Internal Bra Mesh: The physical integrity of an “internal bra” depends on the strength of the mesh and the security of its attachment points. The mesh can be compromised by several closely related mechanical failures, most notably mesh migration and displacement. Collectively, these mechanical issues can result in a total loss of breast shape, visible deformities, and often sharp, chronic pain that requires surgical intervention to retrieve or replace the failed material.
- Mesh Migration/Displacement: Mesh migration occurs when the mesh slowly “crawls” or shifts from its original surgical position due to gravity, muscle movement, or inadequate initial fixation, whereas mesh displacement refers to a more sudden or total movement of the mesh away from its intended site. During this movement, the mesh can also experience folding or bunching, where the material crumples onto itself. These folds can create sharp edges or hard lumps that are palpable through the skin, leading to chronic irritation and mechanical discomfort for the patient.
- Mesh Detachment: The loss of positioning of the mesh often leads to mesh detachment, where the sutures or tacks holding the material to the chest wall or breast tissue snap or pull through, causing the internal support to collapse.
- Bottoming Out and Displacement: When the mesh fails to provide a firm lower boundary, the result is a mechanical complication called “bottoming out.” This occurs when the mesh (the internal bra) either stretches excessively or slides down the chest wall, allowing the breast implant to drop below the intended inframammary fold. This displacement shifts the entire volume of the breast toward the abdomen, often causing the nipple to look as though it is pointing upward and creating an unnatural, elongated appearance of the lower breast.
- Mesh Erosion and Rupture: In severe cases, the mechanical stress of the mesh can cause it to wear through adjacent structures, a process known as mesh erosion. This occurs when the mesh rubs against the breast implant, potentially causing an implant rupture, or when it thins the overlying skin until the mesh becomes exposed. While less frequent with modern biologics, mesh rupture can occur in synthetic materials where the scaffold physically tears or breaks under high-pressure loads, resulting in a total and sudden collapse of the internal support structure.
- Mesh Attenuation and Over-Stretching: Mechanical failure can also result from the physical stretching of the mesh material over time, a process known as attenuation. If the mesh lacks sufficient “tensile strength” to support the weight of the breast implant, the fibers will slowly elongate under the force of gravity. As the mesh stretches, it becomes thinner and weaker, eventually losing its ability to hold the implant in the correct position. This leads to a loss of the surgical lift and a distorted breast shape as the “sling” fails to maintain its original dimensions.
- Bacterial Infection and Biofilm Formation: Because internal bra mesh is often porous, it provides a vast surface area where bacteria can hide and multiply. If even a small amount of bacteria enters the surgical site, it can colonize the mesh and create a biofilm, which is a protective layer that shields the bacteria from the body’s immune system and standard antibiotics. Once a biofilm has formed on the mesh, the infection is often impossible to clear with medication alone, frequently necessitating a secondary surgery to remove the mesh entirely.
- Chronic Seroma and Fluid Accumulation: The presence of a foreign material can interfere with the body’s ability to reabsorb natural fluids, leading to a persistent seroma (a pocket of clear fluid). Mesh can act as a physical barrier or an irritant to the surrounding tissue, causing fluid to collect between the mesh and the breast skin or implant. This fluid buildup prevents the mesh from adhering to the chest wall, creates uncomfortable pressure, and significantly increases the risk of a subsequent infection.
- Fibrosis, Scarring and Capsular Contracture: While mesh is sometimes used to help support an implant, it can occasionally trigger an aggressive scarring response. If the body perceives the mesh as a significant irritant, it may produce excessive amounts of dense, fibrous scar tissue. This can lead to capsular contracture, where the area becomes hard, tight, and painful. In severe cases, the contraction of the scar tissue around the mesh can distort the shape of the breast, causing visible ripples or an unnatural, “frozen” appearance.
- Tissue Necrosis and Poor Perfusion: The success of an internal bra procedure relies heavily on the health of the overlying skin, particularly in reconstructive cases following a mastectomy. If the mesh exerts too much pressure against the skin, or if the surgical site has poor blood flow (perfusion), the skin may begin to die, a condition known as necrosis. This can lead to the mesh becoming exposed through an open wound, which is a serious complication that almost always requires the immediate removal of the mesh and the implant to prevent further systemic injury.
- Premature Degradation: Premature degradation occurs when the breast mesh loses its structural integrity and dissolves far sooner than intended. In procedures using certain dermal matrix or “biologic” meshes, the material is designed to act as a temporary scaffold that stays strong while your body replaces it with its own collagen. However, if the body’s enzymes break down the mesh before the natural tissue has become strong enough to take over the weight-bearing load, the “internal bra” effectively disappears. This leaves the breast without support, leading to a quick recurrence of sagging or a total failure of the surgical lift.
- Surgical Revision and Mesh Explantation: When an internal bra mesh fails or causes significant complications, a complex secondary surgery (often termed a revision mammaplasty or mesh explantation) may be required to stabilize the breast and protect the patient’s health. Depending on the severity of the issue, the surgeon may need to carefully “debride” or scrape away failed mesh fragments that have become embedded in the chest wall or breast tissue, a process that is particularly delicate if the mesh has partially integrated or become infected. If the complication involves capsular contracture or a biofilm, the surgeon must often perform a total capsulectomy, removing the entire scar tissue envelope along with the mesh and the implant. In cases where the mesh was intended to provide structural support that has now vanished, the surgeon may have to “re-suspend” the breast using different techniques, such as a traditional mastopexy (breast lift) or by substituting the failed material with a new, more compatible graft. These procedures are often more time-consuming than the original surgery because of the presence of distorted anatomy, scar tissue, and the need to restore a blood supply to damaged skin flaps.
- Red Breast Syndrome (RBS): Red breast syndrome is a unique, non-infectious inflammatory complication specifically linked to the use of biologic mesh, such as Acellular Dermal Matrix (ADM). It typically presents as a bright, painless redness (erythema) on the skin directly overlying the area where the mesh was implanted.
FDA Warnings About Internal Bra Breast Mesh
In recent years, the FDA issued various safety communications highlighting that the safety and effectiveness of surgical mesh products (including synthetic plastic and biologic versions) in breast surgery have not been established. For instance, on March 31, 2021, the FDA issued a safety communication to inform the public and health care providers about the higher chance for complications or problems related to the use of certain acellular dermal matrix (ADM) products, a type of surgical mesh, in implant-based breast reconstruction surgery.
Similarly, on November 9, 2023, the FDA issued a letter to healthcare providers warning them that despite the ‘increased use of surgical mesh products in breast surgery” such surgical mesh products “have not been determined by the FDA to be safe and effective for use in breast surgery.”
Studies About Breast Mesh Injuries
Published studies have reported a range of complications associated with the use of the surgical mesh in “internal bra” breast surgery, including chronic fluid buildup (seroma), infection, hardening of the breast tissue (capsular contracture), implant loss, tissue death (necrosis) and need for reoperation, among others.
For instance, a 2024 Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum systematic review and meta-analysis of data from dozens of clinical studies of synthetic mesh in breast reconstruction surgery found that nearly 10% of patients using synthetic mesh in reconstruction required a second surgery (reoperation) to fix issues, 4% developed an infection, 3% developed a seroma, and 3% needed a total explant where the breast implant is removed entirely. Studies have also found that certain biologic mesh brands used in implant-based breast reconstruction surgery were linked to even higher rates of major complications (which include infection, reoperation, and total implant removal).
Compensation For Breast Mesh Injury Claims
Plaintiffs who bring internal bra breast mesh lawsuits may be able to recover compensation for injuries suffered, including money damages for:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of wages or earnings due to missed work
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Medical care expenses incurred or to be incurred
- Other out of pocket expenses
- Loss of quality or enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement/scarring/asymmetry
- Mental anguish/emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Other possible breast mesh monetary damages
Time Is Limited To File An Internal Bra Lawsuit
Various deadlines (called statutes of limitation and statutes of repose) may limit the amount of time that women have to file a internal bra breast mesh lawsuit to try to recover compensation for complications and injuries they claimed to have suffered from breast mesh products.
This means that if a breast mesh internal bra lawsuit claim is not filed before the applicable time limit or deadline, the injured party may be prohibited from ever pursuing litigation or taking legal action regarding their breast mesh injury claim. That is why it is important to connect with an internal bra breast mesh injury lawyer or attorney as soon as possible.
If you or a loved one suffered injury or complications from an internal bra breast mesh implant, you may be entitled to recover compensation from an internal bra breast mesh lawsuit case or settlement claim. Contact a medical device injury lawyer or breast mesh injury attorney to request a free case review.
*If you or a loved one are experiencing health issues, side effects or complications from a medical device (i.e., internal bra implant or breast mesh), we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor or physician for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company (e.g., Becton Dickinson, Galatea Surgical, C.R. Bard, Integra LifeSciences, Allergan, LifeCell Corporation, Ethicon, Johnson & Johnson, etc.) or product (e.g., GalaFLEX, GalaFORM, GalaSHAPE, Phasix, Phasix ST, DuraSorb, AlloDerm regenerative tissue matrix, Strattice reconstructive tissue matrix, FlexHD biologic mesh, AlloMax surgical mesh, SurgiMend biologic mesh, etc.) is not meant to state or imply that the company acted illegally or improperly or that the product is unsafe or defective; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
***The use of any trademarks, tradenames or service marks is solely for product identification and/or informational purposes.
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