Tennessee Injury Lawyer Blog
Following 5 deaths and 27 confirmed instances in which defective electrical wires in their heart pump implant lead to serious injury and death, Thoratec Corp is requesting all patients with the HeartMate II mechanical heart pump have their implants checked.
Of the 2,000 potentially fatal heart pump put into patients since November 2003, the 5 fatal instances occurred when the defective medical devices could not be replaced. These defective heart pump devices were distributed worldwide, including 87 U.S. hospitals. The chance of wire damage necessitating a replacement increases with time, with three-years showing a one-in-ten likelihood of needing immediate replacement.
Death and injury caused by the defective heart pumps are from insufficient blood flowing to and from the patient’s heart. The purpose of the recalled HeartMate II Thoratec heart pumps is to assist weak hearts in pumping blood throughout the body. Many patients with defective Thoratec heart pumps are in that long wait for a heart transplant.
The heart pump recall affects those Thoratec devices with catalog numbers 1355 and 102139. If you or a loved one has a Thoratec HeartMate II heart pump with these catalog numbers, consult your Tennessee healthcare provider immediately for the best course of action. If you have suffered injury from this defective heart pump, contact our Tennessee defective medical device lawyers for a free consultation.
