A WOMAN has spoken of the agonising pain she has suffered since being given surgical mesh implants 12 years ago.

Jackie Cheetham, 50, who lives in Allerston, near Pickering, says she lives with day-to-day pain, cannot walk long distances or sit down for any length of time, and the medication causes her sleep to be interrupted by nightmares.

She is now raising awareness of the dangers of the procedure.

The plastic polypropylene implants, sometimes called “sling implants”, are given to women to support organs in the pelvis.

The controversial procedure, which is still being given to thousands of women a year, recently became the subject of a Government audit and Jackie’s story has been raised in Parliament by Ryedale MP Kevin Hollinrake.

Ms Cheetham has had two implants - the first in 2005 and the second in 2006. She said that the pain she felt within days of the operation was “like having a knife stuck inside” her.

She said: “Whenever I moved or changed position, the pain was very intense. The pain has been constant for 12 years and has not diminished, but rather has increased. I have been on pain-killers since 2006, gradually increasing in strength until now, when I am on high-dose opiates.”

She said that in the early days, the pain - coupled with feeling that she was dismissed by doctors who suggested her problems were psychological - led to her contemplating and even attempting to take her own life.

“It has completely destroyed my life,” she said. “I felt that there was no point in living like this, with no hope of being pain free. My GP was the only medical professional to fight my corner.”

She had removal surgery in 2006, 2007 and 2008, and was told that the implant was gone - but a recent scan showed pieces of the mesh still present.

Nationwide, thousands of women affected by the surgery are now joining the ‘Sling the Mesh’ campaign, which holds meet-ups where members get together and support each other.

Jackie said: “Sling the Mesh is a fantastic support group which has changed my life. If, by coming forward and speaking out about my years of suffering, I can stop one woman from having to go through this, when alternative options are available that cannot cause these horrendous problems, then I’ll be content.

“My initial surgeon said that my negative outcome was ‘one in a million’. I want other women to be aware of the damage that a mesh operation can cause and to be given informed choice.

“Mesh procedures should be suspended until the review is published; hopefully then, a complete ban will be imposed.”

For more information, go to slingthemesh.wordpress.com