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Sorin Stockert 3T Heater-Cooler Lawyers

According to the FDA, it is possible that a medical device manufacturing issue may have caused some heart-surgery patients to develop a potentially life-threatening infection. More specifically, pending lawsuits allege that the maker of the Sorin Stockert 3T Heater-Cooler System failed to warn hospitals that patients could suffer nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infections caused by the machine during cardiothoracic surgeries.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may grow in the water tank of heater-cooler units. This contaminated water may then become aerosolized into the air in the operating room and, ultimately, a patient’s open chest cavity or onto an implantable device. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes these devices might have been contaminated during manufacturing, and the FDA recently warned the manufacturer, LivaNova PLC, about safety violations in its manufacturing facilities.

The Stöckert 3T Heater-Cooler System was designed to control the body temperature of patients during cardiothoracic surgeries. However, the use of this system has been linked to nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infections in these patients, leading to prolonged treatment for the infection and, in some cases, death. Approximately 60 percent of heart bypass procedures performed in the United States have been performed using heater-cooler devices that have been associated with these infections.

Importantly, while some hospitals are taking efforts to notify their patients of a potential issue with the Stöckert 3T Heater-Cooler System, patients with NTM infections often do not immediately show symptoms. In fact, an infection may not develop for several months or even years. Possible signs of an NTM infection include fatigue, fever, pain, nausea, and vomiting, as well as typical signs of infection at the surgical site, such as redness, heat, or pus.

Lawsuits are being filed against the manufacturer of the Stöckert 3T Heater-Cooler System. If you or a loved one has contracted an NTM infection following cardiac surgery, please contact our office to discuss your legal options with one of our attorneys.

Compensation in a Sorin Stockert 3T Lawsuit

If you or a loved one has received an NTM infection as a result of the Sorin Stockert 3T heater-cooler machine, our lawyers will be seeking the following damages for you:

• Your past and future medical costs that result from the NTM infection.
• Your past and future mental pain and suffering caused by the infection, and the treatment and recovery process.
• The past and future wages that you lost as a result of the infection, if any.
• Any other economic loss you may have suffered because of your injuries.
• Any punitive damages (intended to punish a wrongdoing defendant), if appropriate.