Ohio patients who go in for surgery place their trust in the medical system to make their health better, not worse. A recently filed product liability lawsuit in another state alleges that a medical device did just that, however. A patient is seeking justice and compensation after a surgically implanted Celect® Retrievable Inferior Vena Cava Filter (IVC Filter) injured him.
The plaintiff had the IVC filter temporarily implanted to prevent pulmonary embolisms. The device used, the Celect® IVC filter, was manufactured by the company Cook Medical, and was designed to be an improvement on a previous filter known for its problems with tilting, an issue which made later removal impossible. To prevent this tilting problem, the manufacturer added four struts, i.e. needle-like wire legs designed to anchor the device in the vein.
Unfortunately, these new struts in the Celect IVC drastically increased the likelihood of vein perforations. In the first two months, one study indicated that the Celect IVC punctured patients’ veins 43 percent of the time. Another study showed an incidence as high as 86 percent, with an additional 24 percent of patients suffering from other organs being punctured, including kidneys and intestines.
Even before studies showed conclusive evidence of the increased risk of perforation, researchers had warned that the new strut design was dangerous. The suit alleges that, despite the issued warning and the demonstrated likelihood of vein or organ puncture, Cook Medical proceeded to sell a device with dangerous design defects. Additionally, the complaint charges the company with negligence to warn patients of the possible side effects. Any Ohio individuals who have similarly suffered due to a faulty or dangerous device, medical or other, may wish to seek the counsel of an attorney with experience in product liability cases.
Source: dailyhornet.com, “Texas Man Files Celect IVC Filter Lawsuit“, June 7, 2017
