HEART SURGERIES & SORIN HEATER-COOLER DEVICES

In October, 2015 the US Food and Drug Authority (FDA) issued a circular about the potential risk to patients who had undergone open heart surgery within the last 5 years where a “Sorin” heater-cooler device was used during the surgery. This circular suggests that the heater-cooler device has been linked to a life threatening bacterial infection which could have been passed from the device to the patient. All Irish Hospitals where open heart surgery is conducted, with the use of this device have been advised to notify the potentially affected patients.

According to the FDA report which singled out the “Sorin” device, it states that the device may have been contaminated during the manufacturing process which would mean that certain lots of the device used by Hospitals around the world may contain the bacteria Mycobacteria Chimera. We are aware of Irish cases where the device was used.

Mycobacteria Chimera is a group of common slow growing environmental organisms which can cause respiratory infections or severe disease particularly in people whose immune systems are compromised. This bacteria is linked to “endocarditis”, which can be fatal. The signs and symptoms of endocarditis are;
Fever and chills.
A new or changed heart murmur.
Excessive fatigue,
Aching joints and muscles.
Profuse night sweats.
Shortness of breath.
Persistent cough.
Swelling in feet, legs or abdomen.
Weight loss.
Blood in the urine.
Pain in the stomach.
Red tender spots under the skin of the fingers.

There is litigation on a global scale in relation to “Sorin” products.  If you have had open heart surgery within the last five years and have suffered from any of the above signs and symptoms then you may well be one of the patients who was subjected to the defective heater-cooler device products.

If you have any queries, please contact us at Cantillons, Solicitors at 021 4275673 or info@cantillons.com

*In contentious business, a Solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage of any award or settlement.

Lyndy Cantillon

Partner

Experience

Lyndy qualified as a Solicitor in 2014 and since then has been working in the medical litigation department at Cantillons. Lyndy has worked extensively in cases involving birth injuries, cancer misdiagnosis, surgical errors and fatal claims. Lyndy works hard and as a result of this has had great success in this field. Lyndy understands the physical and mental stress her clients have been through before they come to Cantillons with their query and she encourages her clients to leave their stresses with her.

Qualifications / Assocciations

Lyndy achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree at University College Cork with a degree in Art History and Italian. Thereafter she went on to study for the FE1 entrance examinations and successfully passed all eight exams. Lyndy took an apprenticeship at Cantillons and got experience in general litigation, medical litigation, probate and commercial litigation. Lyndy qualified as a Solicitor on 2014 and has been working in the medical litigation department since then.