Defective Medical Technology: 5 Intriguing Cases of Device Recalls

A fear or avoidance of hospitals is prevalent in our society. It's not uncommon to hear someone you know express a fear of doctors. Medical exams and procedures can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety in even the most resolute people. Human error is an unavoidable risk when it comes to seeking medical attention, but the one assurance we have is that the medical equipment used by our doctors is infallible. Unfortunately, that's far from true. Let's look at five intriguing cases of medical device recalls.

1. Fetch 2 Aspiration Catheter

On March 22, 2006, Boston Scientific Corporation had to recall their Fetch 2 Aspiration Catheter due to shaft breakage. A catheter is a thin tube made of medical grade materials that has a multitude of uses inside the human body. The catheter that was recalled was used in thrombectomies, a medical procedure that uses a catheter to remove blood clots from veins and arteries. Doctors were finding that the tube was breaking. If this happened inside of a patient, it could block the blood supply to the heart or blood vessels resulting in extensive medical procedures, injury, or even death.

2. Femoral Stem

On May 18, 2015, the FDA issued a Class I recall on a femoral stem by the Zimmer Corporation. The recall was due to an unexpected buildup of manufacturing residues. This residue buildup was causing serious health issues, such as death, in patients implanted with the femoral stem for routine hip replacement surgeries.

3. Zimmer Biomet Shoulder Replacement Device

On December 20, 2016, Zimmer Biomet sent out an urgent recall notice to all affected customers for its comprehensive reverse shoulder replacement device due to having a higher fracture rate than labeled on the device. These fractures could've resulted in revision surgeries, permanent loss of shoulder function, infection, or death, in rare cases. There is currently a window of opportunity to file a lawsuit against Zimmer Biomet for damages, injuries, or losses caused by this defective medical device, through the firm TruLaw.

4. TigerPaw II Surgical Staple

On March 30, 2015, Maquet Medical Systems issued an urgent recall action letter to all affected customers about their TigerPaw II surgical staple. The surgical staple was used in heart surgery to close surgical incisions, but patients were finding their incisions weren't closing completely. Tissue tears and bleeding were some reported symptoms due to the malfunction. One person died.

5. Ebola Virus Test Kits

On March 13, 2015, LuSys Laboratories sent out an urgent voluntary medical recall to all customers for their Ebola virus test kits. The reason for this is that LuSys had sold these test kits without FDA approval internationally and they were later found to give inaccurate results. This put lives at risk as it threatened to isolate non-affected patients with affected patients. In a world full of people with serious and complicated medical needs, stories of defective medical devices are more common than is comfortable. It's enough to make you not want to have a surgery or go through with a routine medical procedure, but the odds are in your favor, regardless of how many medical device recall stories you may hear.