What are some common reasons for medical device recalls?
Countless Americans have medical devices implanted in them every year. These may include joint replacement devices, surgical mesh or heart defibrillators, to mention a few.
Sadly many of these life-saving products have garnered less attention for how they can save a patient’s life and more awareness for how they take lives in recent years. You should remain vigilant for the signs that you have a defective medical implant yourself.
Medical devices that have proven to be dangerous in recent years
There have been many reports of adverse outcomes following patients’ implantations with specific medical devices in recent years. These instances have resulted in their recalls and the filing of lawsuits against manufacturers. For example:
- Patients receiving various manufacturers’ hip replacements have experienced health declines attributable to metal poisoning, including cobalt toxicity, resulting in countless recalls and injury lawsuits.
- Many women have undergone transvaginal mesh surgery to correct their stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse in recent years. Many of these procedures have left women experiencing organ perforation and mesh erosion, resulting in health declines and further surgeries.
- Patients’ reports of adverse medical outcomes associated with pacemakers and insulin pumps associated with software breaches have resulted in several recalls and lawsuits in recent years.
- Reports of complications related to inferior vena cava (IVC) blood clot filters, drug-coated stents and other cardiovascular-related implants have emerged in recent years as well.
These kinds of problems are far from unusual, unfortunately.
What to do when your medical device is failing you
Many patients experience declines in their health but can’t initially attribute their symptoms to their device’s malfunctioning. Patients may also think that they alone are experiencing a decline in health until they discover outstanding complaints filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration against its manufacturer or receive notification of a recall.
You should contact your physician right away if you feel something isn’t right with your health. This may be the earliest sign that your device is failing. Being proactive early on might save your life.
When the crisis is past, an attorney can advise you how Illinois law might allow you to hold a device manufacturer liable for their mistakes and your decline in health.