Sorin 3T Defective Heater-Cooler Device Lawyers
The Strom Law Firm, LLC is now accepting cases again LivaNova, the manufacturers of the Sorin 3T Heater-Cooler System. The device is used to control blood temperature during open-heart surgery, but the Medical University of South Carolina says that up to 3,000 patients may have been exposed to dangerous bacteria through potentially contaminated equipment. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that the medical devices may have been contaminated with Mycobacterium chimaera during manufacture.
If you had a cardio thoracic procedure, you should seek immediate medical attention if you are experiencing symptoms associated with infections including:
- night sweats;
- muscle aches;
- weight loss;
- fatigue;
- or unexplained fever.
Sometimes symptoms can take years to develop. If you or someone you love has experienced any of the above symptoms after an open-heart procedure, give us a call today. You could be entitled to compensation.
What is the Heater-Cooler Device
Heater-cooler devices are used to regulate body temperature during cardio thoracic surgery. During these open-heart procedures, the heart is stopped for a time, and the heater-cooler devices regulate the body’s blood flow. The FDA created the following schematic to illustrate how the device works:
“Heater-cooler devices are often necessary for use during surgeries to warm or cool patients as part of their care. They are especially important tools for surgeries involving the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other chest organs (cardiothoracic surgeries). Heater-cooler devices … include tanks that provide temperature-controlled water to external heat exchangers or to warming/cooling blankets through closed water circuits.”
Heater-Cooler Device Infection Risk
The CDC reported that some LivaNova PLC (formerly Sorin Group Deutschland GmbH) Stöckert 3T heater-cooler devices, were likely contaminated during the manufacturing process in Germany. On December 29, 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a warning letter to the manufactures that included a list of violations that they found when they inspected the facility with regard to their manufacturing and quality management systems.
Have Your Defective Heater-Cooler Medical Device Case Evaluated
If you or a family member has been injured from a medical device used during the course of treatment, you should contact a medical malpractice attorney at the Strom Law Firm, LLC today. 803.252.4800. We offer free case reviews for all our clients to make sure you are on the right track. Often times these injuries are preventable. Find out today if you are entitled to compensation.
