Boston Scientific Infusion Ports
Instead of addressing illnesses among patients, it seems that Boston Scientific, manufacturer of high-tech medical devices, may have further exacerbated the sufferings of their patients. Boston Scientific recently admitted that patients, numbering into the hundreds, may need to undergo surgery to remove one of their devices that was recently recalled. The device is the Boston Scientific Infusion Port, used to more easily inject drugs and medication into patients. This admission came after the company was cited by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for quality control issues.
It is recommended that doctors consider doing a second surgery on patients who might have implants of one of the 1,000 ports used for drug infusion that the company recalled in March of 2005. In a letter to the public posted on their website in July of the same year, Boston Scientific said that they were also withdrawing from the market another 1,000 of their infusion ports. This was their answer to another warning letter from the FDA that was still aimed at their poor standards in quality control.
The biggest problem found in the infusion ports was that they caused drugs to leak into parts of the patient's body that were not intended to receive medication and could result in serious injury. The infusion ports were initially designed for easier transmission of medication to cancer patients and others who are required to undergo frequent injections of drugs. The infusion ports reduce the repeated sticking of needles into the blood vessels for a patient to get his or her required dosage of medication. A port usually has a circular surface that is fashioned out of a material similar to silicone. It is roughly the size of a half dollar, and is implanted under the skin below the clavicle. The needles are inserted into the surface of the port to transmit the drugs that will pass through a catheter, which is attached to a vein through surgery.
After they had already been implanted in thousands of people, it was found that the two plastic pieces that comprise the infusion port's base and cover can become disconnected due to improper welding during manufacturing. Another defect found was on those units that had special valves; these valves stopped the blood from passing upwards from the catheter to the source of the drugs. Even the ports that didn't have valves were also reported to have leakage in its membrane. The FDA warned Boston Scientific of their failure to maintain stringent procedures when it comes to addressing quality problems and forced them to recall as many of the devices as possible.
If you have had a Boston Scientific Infusion Port implant, and you believe that the ailments you are now experiencing may have been caused by some defects of the device, then it is wise to contact a lawyer. An experienced defective medical device lawyer will be able to evaluate your case and advise you on the proper course of action to take. If it is established that your injuries were caused by defects in the infusion port, the lawyer you consult will help you file a personal injury claim against the responsible parties. This claim will entitle you to get financial compensation that will reimburse all of the medical expenses incurred by the diagnosis of your illnesses, as well as for the treatment and surgeries that you have undergone. It could even cover the second surgery that you had to undergo to remove the defective device and have a new one put in.
Make sure that you contact a lawyer as soon as you know of your injuries, because there are time limitations when it comes to filing personal injury claims. Most states adopt the two-year statute of limitations, which allows a personal injury victim to file a claim within two years after they sustained their injuries, so contact a lawyer today.
