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IVC filters
An inferior vena cava filter (IVC filter) is a medical device implanted in the veins of a patient in order to catch blood clots and prevent them from moving to the lungs. While the standard way to stop blood clots is to administer anticoagulants (blood thinners), IVC filters are a common treatment for patients who are unable to take blood thinners due to another medical condition.
However, in recent years the FDA has received hundreds of adverse reports regarding these filters. At the center of the issue is the IVC filter's tendency to leave the place where it is implanted and migrate to other parts of the body. In addition to not treating potentially dangerous blood clots, filters that migrate can puncture blood vessels and damage internal organs, leading to severe pain, internal bleeding, nerve injuries, infection, and death.
Two manufacturers, in particular, have been at the center of IVC lawsuits: C.R. Bard and Cook Medical.
The following filters have been associated with injuries:
- Bard Recovery
- Bard G2
- Bard G2 Express
- Cook Gunther Tulip
- Cool Celect
In various lawsuits, Cook and Bard have been held liable for negligent behavior including failing to warn consumers of the dangers of IVC filters and breaching implied warranty. Some 100,000 Bard IVC filters have been implanted in patients across the country, and the amount of monitoring needed to prevent those filters from causing serious injuries is substantial.
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Medtronic Defibrillator
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Metal-on-metal hip implants
The majority of health experts have recommended against continued use of metal-on-metal hip replacement parts, due to the fact that these devices can fail earlier than expected and put patients at a high risk of serious side effects.
Patients with metal-on-metal hip components may experience side effects including but not limited to severe pain, swelling, difficulty walking, metal toxicity, and fracturing, loosening or corrosion of the device. Additionally, many patients may require revision surgery and be at a high risk for post-revision complications.
Various types of metal hip replacement parts have been recalled or have been under investigation by the FDA:
- Biomet M2a Magnum Hip Implants
- DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System
- DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System
- Stryker Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II Modular-Neck Hip Stems
- Stryker LFIT Anatomic COCR V40 Femoral Heads
- Stryker Trident Acetabular PSL Cup
- Stryker Trident Hemispherical Cup
- Wright Conserve Hip System
- Zimmer Durom Cup
If you or a loved one has experienced side effects, complications or a need for revision surgery as a result of a defective hip implant, contact our Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation. We may be able to help you file a metal-on-metal hip lawsuit to recover compensation for pain and suffering and other damages.
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Mirena® IUD
Mirena is an intrauterine device(IUD) approved by the FDA as a contraceptive, as well as a treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding. Mirena IUD works by slowly releasing low doses of a synthetic progestin hormone directly into the uterus.
Although its use is widespread, Mirena has been associated with serious adverse side effects and potentially life-threatening complications. Complications include organ perforation, migration of the IUD to outside the uterus, embedment in the uterus. If you have been harmed by Mirena IUD, contact Metzger Wickersham for a free case evaluation.
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NuvaRing® birth control
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Physiomesh hernia repair mesh
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Power morcellator
Power morcellators are surgical devices used to cut or sever large masses of tissue during laparoscopic or robotic surgeries. In recent years, minimally invasive procedures have grown in popularity across several areas of medicine to minimize recovery time and patient trauma. When a procedure requires tissue removal and the excised tissue is too big to pull through the opening of a thin tube, the tissue must be cut into small pieces in order to fit. A power morcellator uses a spinning blade to quickly and efficiently cut the tissue.
Side effects of power morcellation tend to involve gynecological procedures such as hysterectomies and myomectomies. According to the FDA, a significant number of women who undergo these procedures have undetected uterine cancer. The spinning blade of the power morcellator spreads the cancerous tissue inside the patient's body, which makes a disease with an already poor prognosis worse.
In 2014, Johnson & Johnson called for doctors worldwide to stop using laparoscopic power morcellators and return the devices. According to a letter reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, the danger of aggravating uterine cancer was worse than the company previously believed.
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Shoulder pain pumps
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Stryker hip replacements
Over the years, Stryker products have been under much scrutiny and investigation by the Food and Drug Administration, causing Stryker Orthopaedics to issue various voluntary recalls on different hip replacement parts.
The most recent product in question is Stryker’s LFIT V40 femoral head parts. Certain models of the femoral heads have had reported complaints of higher than normal failure rates.
In 2012, Stryker announced a recall on its Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II modular-neck hip stems. According to Stryker, the recall started "due to the potential risks associated with modular-neck stems." The metal modular-neck stem components are subject to corrosion, which could subsequently lead to metallosis (the build-up of metallic debris in local issue). Metallosis poses serious adverse risks including infection, pain, swelling, and even hip implant failure.
Metal-on-metal hip implants have consistently had health problems associated with their use. Although the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Modular Hip Systems do not have a metal-on-metal ball and socket design like other defective hip implants that have been recalled, the Stryker neck/stem joint on the Rejuvenate and ABG II hips is metal-on-metal.
Patients with metal Stryker components could experience metal toxicity, with complications like pain, immobility, tissue, damage and revision surgery.
Stryker also recalled two devices in 2008: the Trident Acetabular PSL Cup and the Trident Hemispherical Cups. It was discovered that defective Hemispherical and Trident PSL Cups may make squeaks or popping sounds after implant and that patients may suffer bone fractures, pain, discomfort and additional replacement surgeries.
If you've experienced pain or injury due to a defective Stryker artificial hip, contact an experienced attorney at Metzger Wickersham who can assist you with your legal options. Our attorneys are committed to helping clients successfully resolve their claims.
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Zimmer NexGen knee replacements
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