Heater-cooler litigation
Litigation alleged that heater-cooler units used in open-heart surgery aerosolized nontuberculous mycobacteria into operating rooms, seeding slow-developing infections.
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What the litigation alleged
The infections at issue can take months or years to declare themselves after open-heart surgery, which made the outbreak hard to trace. The litigation alleged the devices were contaminated at the factory and that hospitals and patients learned of the risk long after the manufacturer did.
Injuries named in the litigation
- NTM (nontuberculous mycobacterium) infection
- Endocarditis and surgical site infection
- Prolonged antibiotic therapy
- Repeat cardiac surgery
Who may qualify
If you developed an NTM infection after open-heart surgery in which a heater-cooler unit was used, you may have a claim. The review is free and confidential, and we will give you an honest answer either way. You pay attorney's fees only if we recover for you.
Call (888) 391‑1315 or use the form for a free, confidential review. You pay attorney's fees only if we recover for you.