When battling a life-threatening medical condition, patients have no choice but to trust that the manufacturers of the medical devices they rely on for survival are not cutting corners. For these patients, there is no time for the luxury of that trust being earned. Rather, that trust is an immediate necessity. Sadly, we have been reminded over four decades of practice that far too often this sacred trust is broken due to corporations prioritizing profits over patient safety.
The most recent breach of trust we are investigating involves C.R. Bard’s PowerPort implantable port catheter devices (“IPCs”). These devices, composed of an injection port and a catheter, are surgically implanted under the skin to provide a central access point for administration of fluids, nutrition, and medication, including chemotherapy.
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Catheter Port Injuries
Unfortunately, the Bard catheters are manufactured with materials that can lead to degradation, fracture, and migration through the bloodstream. Injuries linked to the PowerPort’s defective catheter include:
- Infection
- Migration
- Fracture
- Perforation of blood vessels, veins, or organs
- Death
Bard IPCs are made of a mixture of barium sulfate with polyurethane and/or silicone. Problematically, barium sulfate reduces the mechanical integrity of polyurethane and silicone in the body. This reduced integrity then leads to barium sulfate particles dissociating from the surface of the Bard IPCs when exposed to a patient’s bloodstream, altering the catheter’s structure and mechanical properties. Cracks, fissures, divots, and/or pitting on the surface of the IPC can then develop leading to various serious injuries, including catheter fracture and infection.
Unlike safer alternatives available, Bard has neither replaced barium sulfate with a different material nor sheathed/coated its IPCs to protect patients.
To date, Bard has not warned about the risks of its IPC despite years of patient complaints.
In 2023, a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) was established for Bard IPC cases in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona before the Honorable David Campbell. Goldenberg Lauricella Partner, Noah Lauricella, is actively involved in the MDL as a member of the Discovery Committee and the Science and Experts Committee.
Injuries from Bard IPCs can be life-threatening. They can also delay life-saving care such as chemotherapy when patients need to pause their treatment to treat injuries caused by the defective product.
Minnesota Implantable Port Catheter Lawyers
Every day, cancer patients put their trust in Bard IPCs to deliver life-saving care. Instead of conforming its catheter to align with safer alternatives, Bard continues to fracture that trust by unnecessarily placing these patients at risk of devastating injuries. We at Goldenberg Lauricella think people should come before profits and will continue to advocate to make that a reality. Contact us today for a free catheter port consultation.