ATLANTA -- Seven women who have filed suit against a large medical company are urging other victims to come forward.

The women accuse the Mentor Corporation of marketing a very dangerous implant.

The women received implants designed to stop incontinence. But they said the devices were defective and left them scarred for life.

Stella Merritt and her husband said they have lived a nightmare the past few years, all because of a device designed to stop a woman's bladder from leaking.

"I had a hard time … a very hard time," Merritt said. "I thought I would never get better."

Drew Hill has filed suit on behalf of seven women who said they became sick just months after the vaginal sling was implanted.

The lawsuit alleges the device "disintegrated" in the women's bodies, causing severe and painful infections.

"We've had clients with sling material in their legs," Hill said. "We've got hip infections, bone infections and muscle infections."

The women admit it is embarrassing to talk about, but they felt compelled to come forward.

Gail Dover and the other women eventually had the sling removed. They said you cannot see the physical scars from the dozens of surgeries they have endured, but they admit the emotional scars are hard to hide.

"Thank the Lord I'm still here today," Dover said. "It's been very traumatic."

The women are seeking money for medical expenses and pain and suffering.

The Mentor Corporation voluntarily took the slings off the market last year. They did not respond to e-mails or call by CBS 46 reporters.