About the Stockert 3T Device
Any surgical procedure is going to be done in a highly controlled environment, and that’s especially true for heart surgeries. As part of creating that optimal environment, several companies manufacture heater-cooler devices to help control a patient’s temperature during an operation. The Stockert 3T is produced by London-based medical device manufacturer LivaNova. Of the 250,000 surgeries performed in the U.S. using these devices, roughly 60% rely on the Stockert 3T for temperature control.
Dangers Related to the Stockert 3T Heater-Cooler Device
The Stockert 3T has recently been linked to a series of dangerous bacterial infections in some patients. These devices use water to cool a patient’s body during surgery, which of course must be performed in a sterile environment. Evidence shows that the devices used in several open-heart surgeries may have contained contaminated water, which was then transmitted to unsuspecting patients. As a result, several patients who had surgery using the Stockert 3T device have suffered dangerous infections.
Have you or someone you love been harmed as a result of this device? Make sure you know the potential risks and how to exercise your legal rights.
Device Causes Dangerous Infections
Patients infected by use of the Stockert 3T developed nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), a slow-growing bacteria which infects the airways and lung tissue. Death related to NTM is rare. However, an infection can still seriously damage one’s quality of life, developing into a chronic disease requiring ongoing treatment. Typical treatment requires antibiotics to be taken for at least 12 months.
Between 2010 and 2015, the FDA received 32 reports of infected patients, many of whom developed NTM.
Common symptoms of infection are as follows:
- Abdominal pain
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Joint pain
- Inflammation
- Muscle pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
If you notice any of the above symptoms after receiving any surgical procedure that involved a Stockert 3T, seek medical attention immediately. Infections are treatable, but become more difficult if left untreated for a prolonged period of time.
Taking the Next Step
Individuals harmed by the Stockert 3T may be eligible to seek compensation for any damage they sustained as a result of the contaminated device. The product liability attorneys at Lyons & Simmons can review your case, gather evidence, and help you fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.
Contact Lyons & Simmons, LLP, to discuss your case with our Dallas personal injury attorneys.
