Health chiefs have today announced a dramatic U-turn on the proposed ban on 'barbaric' vaginal mesh implants, prompting fury among campaigners. NICE declared two years ago the implants should be outlawed for prolapse – a common childbirth issue that causes the organs to fall out of place. However, the Government body has backtracked on its decision, despite having no new scientific evidence to prove the procedure is safe. Furious victims of the procedure have slammed the announcement by NICE, which advises the NHS. Kath Sansom, founder of campaign group Sling The Mesh (STM), described the guidelines as being an 'institutional betrayal of women'. NICE declared two years ago the implants should be outlawed for prolapse – a common childbirth issue that causes the organs to fall out of place She told MailOnline: 'Amid a sea of misogyny and pro-mesh use, our voices have been completely ignored – despite our years of fighting for justice.' Ms Sansom added: 'It's Groundhog Day. They [NICE] are ignoring the elephant sitting on the kitchen table. 'And they have opened the floodgates for thousands of women, including our daughters and granddaughters, to be maimed by mesh in future.' NICE faced backlash from STM when it announced in December 2017 that vaginal mesh implants should only be banned for prolapse and not incontinence. At the time, its draft guidelines said mesh – considered high risk by officials in the US for a decade – should 'only be used in the context of research' for the condition. But the final guidelines state surgeons should offer surgery for pelvic organ prolapse to women whose symptoms have not improved from non-surgical treatments. One of the surgery methods it lists includes mesh. The implants are also listed for incontinence, the more common procedure mesh is dished out to treat. In the guidance, NICE said: 'There is evidence of benefit [of vaginal mesh to treat the condition] but limited evidence on the long-term adverse effects.' 'In particular, the true prevalence of long-term complications is unknown,' the guidance states. NICE was also criticised when last summer it admitted the guidelines it had been working on would not be ready this February, as originally planned. It said the final guidelines would not be prepared for publication until April 2. The final recommendations will be sent to all medics working across the NHS. The guidelines do, however, state that women should try a range of techniques before mesh is even considered for either incontinence or prolapse. For the former, lifestyle interventions, such as cutting down on caffeine, weight loss and pelvic floor muscle training, are recommended before surgery. Non-surgical options for prolapse also include pelvic floor muscle training, as well as avoiding heavy lifting and treating constipation. Meanwhile, NICE said a national database should be set up to record all procedures involving the use of surgical mesh in incontinence and prolapse operations. However, in its guidelines it admits 'it is not possible to know in advance what will happen to any individual woman' who undergoes surgery for either condition. Thousands of women have been maimed by the controversial implants globally, left on the brink of suicide, unable to work and reliant on wheelchairs The vaginal mesh scandal came to light in April 2017, when the NHS was accused of dodging media attention over the implants that left hundreds of women in agony. Dr Paul Chrisp, director for the centre for guidelines at NICE, said the guidance will ensure 'every woman considering surgery for urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse has the best evidence currently available to inform her of the benefits and risks of each type of procedure'. He added: 'It will ensure each woman is able to decide, with the help of her clinician, which option is best for her. This might include the decision not to have surgery at all.' Labour MP Owen Smith, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Surgical Mesh, said the guidelines 'do not go far enough in acknowledging the terrible problems many women have faced following mesh surgery'. 'I am deeply disappointed that the updated guidelines appear to disregard mesh-injured women's experiences by stating that there is no long-term evidence of adverse effects. 'Thousands of women have faced life-changing injuries following mesh surgery and they must not be ignored.' Mr Smith added: 'While I am pleased that Nice is now advising against mesh as a first-line treatment for incontinence, the new guidelines fail to clearly outline that mesh should only be used once conservative methods have failed and when non-mesh surgery has failed. 'It is vital that a proper continence care pathway is established, with surgery as a last resort.' Vaginal mesh – made of brittle plastic that can curl, twist and cut through tissue – has been branded the 'biggest medical scandal' since thalidomide. Thousands of women have been maimed by the controversial implants globally, left on the brink of suicide, unable to work and reliant on wheelchairs. Campaigners have tirelessly fought for years to get officials to put an end to vaginal mesh – proven to cause complications in up to 45 per cent of women. Ms Sansom, a journalist who lives in Cambridgeshire, suffered irreversible damage to her coccyx after being fitted with mesh to treat her mild incontinence in 2015. But the 51-year-old argued that her harrowing story is just the tip of the iceberg, and that vaginal mesh implants have damaged the lives of thousands more. Ms Sansom argued mesh cannot be safe because the NHS operates 25 specialist centres, which focus only on dealing with complications from the procedure. She argued the NICE committee that approved the final guidelines had only one mesh-injured woman on the board – despite it saying it had lay members. And a study which showed the risk of complications was around 10 per cent, based on nine years of NHS data, was not included because it was 'low grade evidence'. Instead, NICE included data from a review led by two surgeons once paid by the industry. It has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. In July, the Government announced a 'pause' on some mesh procedures in England, until certain conditions were met. The surgery is not the subject of a 'blanket ban' and remains available in some circumstances under a 'high vigilance' programme. The pause was triggered by an ongoing independent review chaired by Baroness Cumberlege, who is examining the effects mesh has had on women and families. And, although NICE's new guideline will eventually allow doctors to continue using the plastic tape, this restriction will remain in place for the rest of the review. STM estimates that of the 7,600 women in the group who have been given vaginal mesh, three quarters were fitted with the device to treat their incontinence. Nearly 130,000 patients have had mesh for incontinence or prolapse in the past decade, according to an NHS review. It was introduced in the 1990s. Up to 44 per cent of women fitted with tape, or mesh, will attend an appointment with trauma and orthopaedic surgeons, the audit suggested. Some studies, published in an array of scientific journals, have shown that pain, erosion and perforation from the surgery can strike up to 75 per cent of women. WHAT ARE VAGINAL MESH IMPLANTS? THE CONTROVERSIAL DEVICES THAT HAVE BEEN COMPARED TO THALIDOMIDE WHAT ARE VAGINAL MESH IMPLANTS? Vaginal mesh implants are devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence in women. Usually made from synthetic polypropylene, a type of plastic, the implants are intended to repair damaged or weakened tissue in the vagina wall. Other fabrics include polyester, human tissue and absorbable synthetic materials. Some women report severe and constant abdominal and vaginal pain after the surgery. In some, the pain is so severe they are unable to have sex. Infections, bleeding and even organ erosion has also been reported. Vaginal mesh implants are devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence in women WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MESH? Mini-sling: This implant is embedded with a metallic inserter. It sits close to the mid-section of a woman's urethra. The use of an inserter is thought to lower the risk of cutting during the procedure. TVT sling: Such a sling is held in place by the patient's body. It is inserted with a plastic tape by cutting the vagina and making two incisions in the abdomen. The mesh sits beneath the urethra. TVTO sling: Inserted through the groin and sits under the urethra. This sling was intended to prevent bladder perforation. TOT sling: Involves forming a 'hammock' of fibrous tissue in the urethra. Surgeons often claim this form of implant gives them the most control during implantation. Kath Samson, a journalist, is the founder of Sling The Mesh Ventral mesh rectopexy: Releases the rectum from the back of the vagina or bladder. A mesh is then fitted to the back of the rectum to prevent prolapse. HOW MANY WOMEN SUFFER? According to the NHS and MHRA, the risk of vaginal mesh pain after an implant is between one and three per cent. But a study by Case Western Reserve University found that up to 42 per cent of patients experience complications. Of which, 77 per cent report severe pain and 30 per cent claim to have a lost or reduced sex life. Urinary infections have been reported in around 22 per cent of cases, while bladder perforation occurs in up to 31 per cent of incidences. Critics of the implants say trials confirming their supposed safety have been small or conducted in animals, who are unable to describe pain or a loss of sex life. Kath Samson, founder of the Sling The Mesh campaign, said surgeons often refuse to accept vaginal mesh implants are causing pain. She warned that they are not obligated to report such complications anyway, and as a result, less than 40 per cent of surgeons do. All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility