Manufactured by Stöckert, the 3T heater-cooler system helps regulate cardiac patients’ blood temperatures during surgery. Adoption of the device is widespread—around 150,000 bypass surgeries in the United States each year utilize the 3T. But now, it’s been revealed that thousands of patients may be at risk of severe or even fatal complications caused by contamination of water within the system.
A possible result of 3T heater-cooler contamination for a person in Arkansas is nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection, which can lie dormant for between two weeks and four years before presenting symptoms. When these infections make themselves evident, they can appear as pulmonary disease or affect a person’s skin, soft tissues, and lymphatic system. Patients exposed to contaminated operating rooms may require costly medical monitoring to help curb the damage that can be caused by NTM infections left unchecked.
If you or a loved one suffered an NTM infection or bacterial contamination after a bypass procedure, valve replacement, or any other type of cardiac surgery—even years after the procedure—our injury lawyers are ready to review your case for free. Contact us now to help protect your rights to the compensation you deserve.
Between 2010 and 2015, more than 30 reports of 3T heater-cooler system-related infection were submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2015, FDA officials communicated the potential risks of systems like the Stöckert to physicians and patients.
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Soon after the FDA safety communication, federal regulators connected the reports of infection with the 3T heater-cooler—it’s possible for water within the system to become contaminated. When this happens, the device can release bacteria that may find its way into patients’ bodies.
Per statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of the quarter-million heart bypass procedures performed yearly within the United States involve 3T heater-cooler systems that put patients at risk. Specifically, patients who had surgery at a hospital where an NTM infection has been reported have an infection risk between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 patients.
Don’t pay out of pocket for a medical device manufacturer’s negligence. If you or a loved one suffered from complications caused by an infection after cardiac surgery, contact our Arkansas law firm. Our attorneys are ready to investigate your claim and fight for the money you deserve.
Contact us 24/7 to get started—just call or fill out our free online form today.
This law firm is not associated with, sponsored by, or affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Livanova PLC; Sorin Group; Stöckert; or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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