In a letter to healthcare providers, the FDA has acknowledged the worrying increase of medical complications associated with surgical staplers. Over the course of seven years, there were some 41,000 reports of surgical stapler incidents filed with the FDA. Of these, 9,000 serious injuries and 366 deaths occurred.
Surgical staplers are used to quickly and securely fasten tissue during a medical procedure or to close up wounds. Staplers are automatic machines that serve a similar function as classic sutures.
Some of the issues that can happen with a surgical stapler include:
- Stapling together the wrong tissues
- Using the wrong size or type of staple
- Stapler firing when the operator didn’t intend it to
- Stapler jamming or not firing when needed
- Staples not holding securely causing the wound to open up
- Staples coming out misshaped
As a result of stapler malfunction, a low-risk surgery can suddenly become a medical emergency.
The risk for surgical stapler complications appears far higher than previously known. Medical professionals are now learning that the FDA has kept an extensive record of surgical stapler incidents quietly out of the public eye at the request of the manufacturers.
Because of this, doctors and hospitals have been confidently using surgical equipment that isn’t as safe as they thought it was.
If you or a loved one have fallen victim to a faulty or incorrectly used surgical stapler, then you may qualify for compensation. There may be someone you can hold accountable for the way a surgical stapler was used during your procedure.
Contact the Harman Law Firm today to get a solid defense team on your side who will fight for the justice you deserve.
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