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Defective Medical Devices Make Bad Conditions Worse

Experienced West Virginia medical products liability lawyers win compensation for victims of defective implants

When a medical device is implanted in your body, it becomes part of you. Whether the device is a heart valve, a pacemaker, or a hip replacement, you must rely on it to restore your lifestyle, improve your mobility, or even keep you alive. The price you pay for this improvement almost always includes major surgery, often followed by a prolonged, painful rehabilitation period. If the device turns out to be defective, it not only puts your life and health at risk. It also requires you to undergo additional surgery to remove and replace it, and additional immobility, pain, and rehabilitation afterward.

If a defective medical device has caused you or a loved one needless suffering or permanent disability, the West Virginia dangerous medical device lawyers at Paulson & Nace, PLLC want to help. Our family-owned and managed law firm understands how poor technology and medical malpractice can combine to impact the lives of West Virginia families. Let us be your family’s advocate in your time of need.

Defective implants are like ticking time bombs

For many victims, time is of the essence when it comes to repairing a defective product or treating an injury which resulted from one. Some of the more dangerous medical devices on the market today include:

  • Bladder slings. These devices support the blabber to relieve symptoms of female urinary incontinence. Defective slings have deteriorated and penetrated nearby organs, caused prolonged difficulty urinating, or caused new symptoms of incontinence, specifically urgency. The risks associated with the surgery also include infections at screw or staple points and internal bleeding.
  • DePuy hip and knee replacements. These devices have been recalled numerous times because of their failure rates. Patients have experienced loosening, instability, swelling, and pain. Revision knee surgery is much more difficult than initial implantation and is often complicated by bone loss.
  • INFUSE bone grafts. These are synthetic proteins that help grow new bone or replace damaged or diseased portions of a number of joints and bones in the body. They may come with side effects such as nerve pain, infection, and an increased risk of cancer.
  • Mirena IUDs. An intrauterine device (IUD) has been linked to serious side effects: uterine perforation and migration of the device outside of the uterus. Women who develop these complications must often undergo surgical procedures to remove the device.
  • Stryker hip replacements. In hip replacement, a ball-shaped hip stem replaces the end of the femur. The socket of the pelvis is fitted with a matching cup, creating a new ball joint. Stryker recalled one of its lines of hip stems after the implants showed signs of corroding and fretting. Hip recipients filed lawsuits against Stryker Orthopedics after severe, crippling pain forced them to have revision surgeries.
  • Transvaginal mesh. Transvaginal mesh is a net-like material implanted into the vagina to repair weakened or damaged pelvic muscles that fail to support internal organs. It can be made from porous absorbable or non-absorbable synthetic material, or from absorbable biologic material.

Complications of an inferior product include pelvic organ prolapse, stress urinary Incontinence, tissue erosion of the vaginal wall, pain during sexual intercourse, and organ perforation.

  • Zimmer hip and knee replacements. These are metallic replacement parts for the hip and knee joints. They were recalled because of their unusually high failure rate and short working life. Many patients implanted with them later had to have revision surgery.

Many failures of products like these represent a combination of unsuccessful new uses for existing devices, lack of testing, and poor manufacturing and materials. Let our team of West Virginia defective medical device attorneys assist you in obtaining justice against the parties who have harmed you.

A West Virginia medical products liability lawyer is on your side

No one should have to undergo painful revision surgery and long-term rehabilitation because a design or manufacturing defect in a medical device went undiscovered until after it was marketed. If you or a family member were injured by a defective medical device, Paulson & Nace, PLLC’s family of medical malpractice attorneys offers the compassionate, personal, and professional attention you deserve.  Please call 304-741-8079 or fill out our contact form to tell us your story in a no-obligation consultation with an experienced West Virginia defective medical device attorney. Our office is located at 3501 Maccorkle Ave SE, Charleston, WV 25304.

We have dedicated our lives to helping medical malpractice victims. Let our family help yours.