Dr Joe Bourne: Health NZ Chief Medical Officer says the number of surgeries decline as knowledge of mesh injuries emerged

There are hopes a pause in the use of surgical mesh for a common childbirth injury will give clarity on how many need it. The Health Ministry has recommended the pause for urinary incontinence surgery after a recent report, affecting around 100 operations. Alternatives including non-surgical interventions and surgery without using mesh will be available. Chief Medical Officer Dr Joe Bourne told Mike Hosking they've seen the number of surgeries decline as knowledge of injuries emerge. He says a registry, which is one of the key recommendations, will give them a clearer picture on the numbers affected and improve their datasets. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.