Unconsented implant causes long-term pain

Delphine, a 57-year-old former nurse from France, suffered twelve years of severe pelvic pain after a synthetic prosthesis called a "bandelette" was implanted in her body without her consent during a 2014 surgery at the Cambrai hospital. The implant was added during a procedure to remove her uterus due to fibroids, but she was not informed about it and only learned of it after waking from surgery.

Pain and disbelief

Delphine described the pain as "as if a stake was driven into me," and it lasted for twelve years. Some healthcare professionals suggested the pain was psychological, which added to her emotional burden. The pain eventually led to her losing her job and being declared unfit for work, compounding her grief over the death of her daughter, Violette, who had died at birth in 1998.

Discovery of known risks

Delphine later discovered that the symptoms she experienced were listed as known side effects of the prosthesis in a 2012 document from the High Authority of Health. This realization led her to seek the removal of the implant. She traveled to the United States in March 2025 at her own expense to have it removed by Dr. Dionysios Veronikis, who found that three-quarters of her vagina had been torn out due to previous operations.

Support networks and advocacy

Delphine is now a member of the association Balance ta bandelette, founded by Anne-Laure Castelli, who also suffered from complications due to a bandelette implant. Anne-Laure received a sub-urethral bandelette in 2016 to treat urinary incontinence but endured seven years of pain before traveling to the United States in 2023 for implant removal. She still suffers from internal burns and carries a cushion when traveling.

Community and advocacy efforts

Cynthia Gagné, from Quebec, created the support network Expérience Ameshée, which helps women who have experienced complications from bandelettes. She has assisted approximately 500 women, including a hundred from France, who have traveled to the United States for implant removals. Cynthia notes that French women are often abandoned by the healthcare system and emphasizes the importance of supporting women in making decisions about their health.

Investigative reporting and calls for change

In her book Les Mal Traitées, journalist Liane Courté documents the experiences of women like Delphine and Anne-Laure, who faced medical complications and painful care paths. Courté also reports on Élodie, who traveled to Belgium in 2023 for euthanasia after being implanted with a prosthesis without her consent, and Karine, who committed suicide due to intense pain. Courté criticizes the lack of informed consent in medical practices and calls for better information and listening in healthcare.

Continuing controversy and advocacy

Synthetic implants like bandelettes remain on the market in France, while the English healthcare system suspended their use in 2018. Dr. Veronikis notes that generations of doctors trained in the "mesh" technique no longer know how to perform classical vaginal reconstructive surgery. Liane Courté denounces the lack of belief in women's experiences in France and calls for consolidated data and rigorous monitoring of medical devices.

Hope and determination

Delphine now fights to ensure other women are heard and that their pain is recognized as physical, not psychological. She continues to suffer from the consequences of the implant but has found a new sense of determination. She is involved with the association Balance ta bandelette and hopes to enjoy her future with her family and friends. She emphasizes that her pain was not in her head but in her body and that every woman deserves to be heard.