The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently telling cardiologists and hospitals that heater-cooler devices used during heart surgery pose risk for serious medical complications. The dangers exist because many of these devices may have been contaminated in the manufacturing process.
The risks include life-endangering infections, weight loss, fatigue, unexplained fever, aches, and night sweats. The primary device that has the CDC and the health community alarmed is the PLC Stöckert 3T heater-cooler device (HCD) made by LivaNova, previously called the Sorin Group Deutschland GmbH. About 3/5 of all heart bypass surgeries in Ohio and Kentucky use a Sorin /Stöckert 3T heater-cooler.
Heater-cooler machines are used during heart bypass surgeries to keep the blood and organs of the cardiology patient at just the right temperature. The CDC indicates that bacterial infection is a risk during any heart procedure. The use of the HCD increases that risk. In particular, the heater-coolers are known to risk an M. chimaera infection, which is caused by the water tanks the device uses to monitor the temperatures.
Read more
- Aggressive Kentucky Defective Device Attorneys Protecting Victims of Heater-Cooler Associated Infections
- LivaNova Stöckert 3T Contaminated Heater-Cooler Device Causing Increased Risk of Infections Following Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Contaminated Stöckert LivaNova 3T Heater-Cooler Devices Can Increase Infection Risk After Open Heart Surgery
- What the Sorin 3T Contamination Debacle Means for Infected Patients
Why you may have a medical malpractice case
The dangers posed by these devices are serious. Individuals who have been harmed can bring claims against all responsible parties, including:
- Sorin, LivaNova, and all related entities involved in the manufacture and sale of the defective heater-coolers. These product liability claims are brought on the theory that the device is defective and that the defect is causing serious harm and endangering lives.
- The doctors who use the defective devices. Doctors can be sued for medical malpractice for failing to use alternative heater-coolers, now that the dangers of Sorin heater-coolers are well known, and also for failing to take proper sanity precautions. The physicians can also be held liable if they fail to fully inform the patient of the risks of using the device and if they do not obtain an informed written consent, even if the risks are disclosed verbally.
- The hospital where the heart bypass was performed. Hospitals can be held liable on the same medical malpractice grounds as their doctors. They can be found responsible for not fully informing their doctors of the dangers of the HCDs or for failing to supervise their doctors responsibly.
The manufacturers of the Sorin heater-cooler can also be found liable if they were negligent or if they breached any express or implied warranties.
If you are suffering, or a loved one died due to a defective Sorin/Stöckert 3T heater, our product defect lawyers at Crandall & Pera Law can explain if you have grounds for a claim. For answers to your questions and strong legal advocacy, please phone our lawyers in Ohio at 877.686.8879, our Kentucky attorneys at 877.651.7764. You can also schedule an appointment through our contact form.