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Implanted port devices are a convenient way for medical professionals to have easy access to veins in patients who require regular intravenous therapy or treatments. However, some implanted ports have a high risk of catheter fractures occurring, which can cause severe complications – despite these fractures being completely avoidable.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury due to a catheter fracture in an implanted port device, please contact the Dickerson Oxton Law Firm today to discuss your case. You may be eligible for significant compensation due to the negligence of implanted port device manufacturers.
The Dickerson Oxton Law Firm provides attentive, detail-oriented representation for all those who have been injured due to dangerous or defective medical devices.
A catheter fracture is the breaking of some or all of the catheter in a patient’s implanted port device. An implanted port, also known as a port-a-cath, consists of two parts:
In some cases, a catheter may snap off the implanted port apparatus and be swept up in the flow of blood in the circulatory system. Often, a catheter can break down further as it travels through the bloodstream, resulting in fragments of silicone and polyurethane all throughout your body.
These catheter fragments have the potential to cause significant internal damage. Common complications of catheter fractures include:
In most instances, emergency surgery is required to help remove all fragments and also treat the affected organs.
One of the most common causes of catheter fracture is flex fatigue – a reduction in the durability of the catheter due to the constant movement of the muscles near the implanted port.
However, it is important to note that flex fatigue does not happen in all implanted port devices. The reduction in durability from flex fatigue is completely avoidable by simply reinforcing the catheter with various coatings and/or additives – all of which are harmless to the human body.
In these instances, implanted port device manufacturers often opt out of these additional safety measures – despite understanding the very real risks and complications that can occur with catheter fractures. Therefore, in catheter fracture cases, these manufacturers may be held fully liable for a patient’s resultant injuries and complications.
If you have suffered injuries due to catheter fracture, it is highly recommended to consult an attorney before proceeding with a claim. Even with clear evidence, it can be incredibly difficult to succeed in a dangerous or defective medical device claim due to the size of the manufacturer, the caliber of their legal team, and other factors. An attorney can help you overcome these obstacles to build a compelling case that has a higher chance of succeeding.
Further, an attorney may be able to find other patients who have experienced similar things with their implanted port devices. This exploratory investigation may be able to yield a class-action lawsuit or multi-district litigation, which can hold manufacturers fully accountable for their negligent actions.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury in a catheter fracture of an implanted port device, please contact us immediately. We are committed to providing help and support to those who have been wrongfully injured due to the negligence of a medical manufacturer.
Schedule a free consultation with us today and see how we can help.
