Parker Waichman LLP

Surgical Staples Misfiring and Implantable Staples Malformation Attorney Lawsuit

You Can Receive Full Compensation for a Surgical Stapler Lawsuit Have you or a loved one suffered post-surgical site complications with implantable, surgical staples? If so, you may be entitled to recover financial compensation. Parker Waichman LLP is reviewing post-surgical complications such as severe and sometimes fatal injuries linked to malfunctioning and defective surgical staples. […]

You Can Receive Full Compensation for a Surgical Stapler Lawsuit

Surgical Staples Misfiring and Implantable Staples Malformation Attorney Lawsuit

Have you or a loved one suffered post-surgical site complications with implantable, surgical staples?

If so, you may be entitled to recover financial compensation. Parker Waichman LLP is reviewing post-surgical complications such as severe and sometimes fatal injuries linked to malfunctioning and defective surgical staples. If you believe that your injuries, the injuries of a family member, or the loss of a loved one is connected to post-surgical complications with surgical staples, call our law firm at 1-800-YOURLAWYER (800-968-7529) for your free, no-obligation medical/legal case evaluation.

What are Surgical Staples and Staplers?

Surgical stapler and implantable staple lawsuits

Surgical staplers are categorized by the United States Food & Drug Administration as a “medical device.” Surgical staples and staplers are used both internally and externally during a surgical procedure, to close wounds or surgical sites where the tissues are under high tension. The advantages of using surgical staples over surgical sutures are:

  • Surgical staples close a wound much faster
  • Surgical staples are stainless steel and are less likely to cause a tissue reaction
  • Surgical staples have a history of lower infection risks
  • Surgical staples are much more durable

How are Implantable Staples and Surgical Staplers Used?

Surgical staplers containing implantable surgical staples are often used in gynecologic, gastrointestinal, and thoracic surgeries. Implantable surgical staples are used in surgical operations and procedures such as:

  • Resection of certain tissues or organs
  • Transection procedures on organs or tissue
  • Anastomoses procedures between tissue structures

Are There Any Safety Concerns With Surgical Staplers?

Yes. On March 8, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to healthcare professionals detailing serious complications and injury risks linked with surgical staplers and staples. In the letter, the FDA stated concerns about complications and concerns associated with surgical staplers along with a list of procedures and recommendations to increase patient safety. Another potential issue arose on April 6, 2019, when Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary Ethicon released a warning to consumers in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe about the dangers of their intraluminal staplers. According to their report, the staples could be malformed or the washers could have been uncut. For more information about the risks of Ethicon’s intraluminal stapler’s, see our coverage of the issue here.

On May 16, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a Class I recall for Ethicon’s circular surgical staplers because of the staplers’ failure to fire and correctly form staples when surgeons are repairing certain gastrointestinal surgeries. The FDA classified the recall as Class I, the highest recall level used by the FDA. A Class I recall signifies that the defects found in the recalled medical device could cause serious personal injury or death.

According to the FDA announcement, Ethicon’s surgical staplers are used by surgeons to create a connection between structures in the gastrointestinal tract after surgery. The FDA said that Ethicon performed a thorough investigation into consumer complaints the company received from surgeons as well as products returned to the company as defective. Ethicon learned through its examination that uncut washers found in the stapler and improperly formed staples signify that the device was not firing correctly.

Cut washers are significant to the surgeon. When the device is working properly, the surgeon will hear a crunch and feel the device cut the washer, thereby signifying the staple line is intact. Misfired staples can cause a tremendous amount of collateral health issues. Malformed staples can lead to infection, sepsis, death, bleeding, a permanent colostomy bag, bleeding, leakage, nutritional and digestive issues, as well as the need for additional surgeries. Additional surgeries can lead to additional health complications for the patient.

Ethicon became aware of the defect after two patients sustained severe injuries during surgery. The misfiring stapler forced the resection of the lower rectum in one patient and the middle rectum in another patient even though both patients had upper rectum rescission surgery.

Any patient who has recently had gastrointestinal surgery, including patients who had bariatric surgery or surgery to treat colon cancer is at risk for having difficulties and should consult their surgeon.

Johnson & Johnson Issues Recall of Surgical Tool Following Patient Death and Reports of Serious Injuries

Per bloomberg.com, Johnson & Johnson has recalled its Echelon Flex™ Endopath® Staplers following reports that seven patients were injured and one died, per the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The devices are used to cut and staple tissue together at the same time during surgery. The issues with the staplers are associated with a part of the device that does not properly close surgical incisions, per the FDA. This has led to bleeding, leakage, and revision surgeries to repair the original incision site.

Johnson & Johnson has faced thousands of lawsuits claiming that their products, including drugs, baby powder, surgical devices, and opioids caused patients to be harmed. In response, the company has asserted that its products are safe, despite the claims to the contrary. Notwithstanding, the ever-increasing amount of lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson has begun to worry investors.

Surgical Staplers and Staples Face Reclassification and Recall Following FDA Recommendations

Surgical staplers and staples are used in surgeries to close wounds externally (typically on the head or torso), and to manipulate tissue and organs internally. The various uses of surgical staplers and staples have led to multiple patient injuries and deaths. Surgical staplers and staples are medical devices that are not currently subject to any standards that would help to ensure patient safety. As such, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to reclassify surgical staplers and staples from being Class I medical devices to Class II medical devices, a category that requires a premarket submission to the FDA.

FDA Letter to Doctors

On March 8, 2019, the FDA sent a letter to doctors and other healthcare providers warning of the risks associated with the use of surgical staplers and staples. The letter identified the numerous ways in which patients have sustained injuries and death, stating that the FDA has received more than 41,000 medical device reports. The reports identified the following outcomes with the use of surgical staplers and staples:

  • 366 deaths
  • More than 9,000 serious injuries (including, among others, sepsis, bleeding, fistula formation, tearing of internal tissues and organs, and increased risk of cancer recurrence)
  • More than 32,000 malfunctions

Adverse events which resulted in injuries and death include, but may not be limited to, the following:

  • Misfires
  • Failure of the stapler to fire the staple
  • Misapplication of staples (for example, when the user applies staples to the wrong tissue or using the wrong size staples)
  • Difficulty in firing the staples

The FDA’s review of adverse event data associated with surgical staplers and staples demonstrates that patients are subject to risks they may not know about, placing themselves in harm’s way.

Ethicon Recalls Circular Staplers

Ethicon, Inc. manufactures a broad range of medical devices, including surgical staplers and staples. On April 11, 2019, Ethicon recalled its circular staplers after receiving reports of stapler misfirings. The medical device manufacturer received reports of two patient injuries related to misfirings. However, given that many injuries go unreported, the actual number of injuries could be much higher.

The FDA has identified the Ethicon recall as “Class I,” which means that the staplers and staples have the potential to cause serious injuries or death. The Ethicon recall may only be the beginning. There are numerous companies that manufacture surgical staplers and staples. As such, as patients become aware of the Ethicon recall, they may learn that any injuries they suffered because of surgical staplers used in a medical procedure could be the result of defective and dangerous medical devices.

What Injuries Are Linked to Surgical Staplers & Implantable Staples?

The FDA stated that because surgical staplers and implantable staples are packaged together as a system, the FDA would analyze medical device adverse event reports for both implantable staples and surgical staplers to formulate a comprehensive safety profile for these medical devices and that is why we have Surgical Staples Misfiring and Implantable Staples Malformation Attorney Lawsuit. The FDA discovered over 41,000 distinct adverse event reports spanning January 1, 2011, until March 31, 2018. Although the FDA is continuing to review new medical device adverse event reports, the reports are alarming:

  • 366 fatalities
  • 9,000+ severe injuries
  • 32,000+ malfunctions

The FDA believes that a majority of the adverse event reports are attributed to internal surgical staplers because “proper staple formation is largely contingent on proper function and use of the stapler.”

Some of these injuries and ailments included:

  • Bleeding
  • Sepsis
  • Fistula formation
  • Tearing organs and tissues
  • Increased cancer risks

The Most Common Problems Reported to the FDA

The FDA stated in their initial analysis that the most common issues reported in this medical device’s adverse event report include:

  • Malfunctioning staplers resulting in misfiring of the staples
  • Malformation of the implantable staples
  • Opening of the staple line
  • Stapler failing to fire
  • Difficulty in firing the stapler
  • Misapplied surgical staples (e.g., incorrect surgical staple size or operator errors)

What Are Surgical Staples Made Of?

Surgical staples can be made of different materials such as plastic, stainless steel, or titanium. Titanium is a common choice because it’s the least likely to cause an allergic reaction.

Are Surgical Staples Used Internally?

Surgical staples can be used in surgery for both internal and external injuries. A staple misfire can effect internal or external injuries requiring stapling.

How Does a Surgical Stapler Work?

Surgical staples work similar to stitches by connecting two pieces of compressed tissue with surgical staples. Some models of surgical staples will even cut away extra tissue to create clean edges while closing the wound.

Can Internal Surgical Staples Cause Pain?

Surgical staple malfunctions can result in severe pain, longer procedures, additional surgical interventions, and possible complications such as:

  • Internal or external bleeding
  • fistula formations
  • sepsis
  • increased risk of cancer recurrence
  • internal tissue tears
  • organs tearing
  • death

Do Staples Leave Scars After Surgery?

Surgical staples have been noted in some patients to make the scar more pronounced and darker especially if they are left in there longer. Since they don’t allow for a precise alignment, sometimes the wounds are given a more arched appearance.

Surgical Staples Lawsuits

Patients who incurred any sort of surgical staple injury are filing lawsuits against the device manufacturer. These patients allege that the staples feature a design defect that causes them to misfire which led to unexpected health complications. Lawyers are working with plaintiffs to file suits in pursuit of financial compensation for lost wages, bills, and suffering.

Staples Lawsuit Settlement Payout

Each surgical stapler lawsuit is different, based on the injuries retained, the facts of the case, and the patient in general. On average, settlements in defective surgical stapler lawsuits have ranged from $5 million to $80 million.

Do I Have Ground to File a Surgical Stapler Lawsuit Against the Manufacturer or Surgeon?

If you or someone you love has suffered the aforementioned complications resulting in injuries or death, call our law firm promptly to discuss the possibility of a medical staples lawsuit. Each state has specific limits on the amount of time that you are permitted to bring your claim to recover financial compensation for your pain, suffering, medical expenses and losses.

Contact the caring and experienced attorneys at Parker Waichman LLP for a free consultation to learn about the compensation you may be entitled to recover and the applicable time limitations on your surgical stapler injury lawsuit or wrongful death action.

If we are able to represent you with your (lawsuit against surgical staples), we will immediately begin working on your case, determine the applicable statute of limitations, and preserve all pertinent evidence necessary to bring your claim. If you believe that you or your loved one has a legal cause of action, contact our law office today at 1-800-YOURLAWYER (800-968-7529) for your free, no-obligation medical/legal case evaluation.

Why Choose Parker Waichman LLP
for Your Case?

Parker Waichman LLP is a national defective medical device law firm with a stellar reputation for winning large jury awards and verdicts against medical device manufacturers. A medical staples lawsuit can be extremely complex and are rigorously defended by highly skilled corporate counsel with sizeable budgets for the litigation defense. Parker Waichman LLP has decades of trial experience and has successfully recovered over $2 billion for injury victims and their families. The bottom line is this: we know how to win.

The legal professionals at Parker Waichman LLP are extremely proud of the results that we have secured for our clients. There are only a few plaintiff law firms who have recovered over $2 billion in awards, settlement awards and jury verdicts. Some of our awards and accolades include top ratings on AVVO’s Attorney Rating System and a listing as “Preeminent Lawyers” in Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Peer Review Meetings.

Contact Parker Waichman LLP for Your Free Case Review

At Parker Waichman LLP, our medical device liability attorneys take on the most challenging plaintiff cases and we intensely advocate for our clients’ full monetary compensation. Parker Waichman LLP is fiercely dedicated to protecting your rights, and we have an outstanding reputation for superior results. If you or a loved one have received surgical staples and suffered post-surgical injuries or you lost a loved one due to complications, contact our firm right away to receive your free consultation. Simply use our Live Chat or call us today at 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529) for your free Consultation with an experienced attorney from our firm.

Page updated by Jerry Parker

Surgical Staple News & Lawsuits

 

 

Implantable staple lawsuit
What Our Clients Say About Us
We have worked with thousands of clients and we appreciate them and their positive reviews. Here are just a few recent client reviews...
5 Star Reviews 150
Alex explored the position of each defendant to assist in making an informed decision on my part. I appreciate his efforts to explore options and resolve the case. Thank you for your diligence.
asha bell
a year ago
5 Star Reviews 150
Positive: Professionalism , Quality , Responsiveness , Value They helped me throughout the whole process and they worked hard for me and got a generous settlement and have additional health coverage. They communicated with me and always replied to emails, texts and calls promptly. I highly recommend them!
Giovanna Losardo
3 years ago
5 Star Reviews 150
Francisco A. Albites Esq. recently represented me in a legal matter. He communicated with me directly. He very skillfully negotiated my case to a successful outcome. Mr. Alibites knowledge of the law and his integrity are a testament to his success as an attorney. I would 100% refer him to friends and family members.
Gary Utech
3 years ago

Why Choose Us to Help You?

We Take Care of Everything
Your situation is stressful enough: Let us take on the deadlines, paperwork, investigation, and litigation. We'll handle every detail so you don't have to worry.
No Recovery = No Legal Fees
We work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning that we only get paid from a portion of your settlement or jury award. If you don't get compensation, you owe us nothing.
Decades of Experience
Your situation is stressful enough: Let us take on the deadlines, paperwork, investigation, and litigation. We'll handle every detail so you don't have to worry.
Respected by Our Peers
Judges, insurance adjusters, and fellow attorneys all speak highly of our skills, and we've earned numerous accolades, including a flawless rating from AVVO.
We Have Many Locations To Serve You
We have the experience and the skilled litigators to win your case. Contact us and speak with a real attorney who can help you.
Long Island – Nassau
Parker Waichman LLP
6 Harbor Park Drive
Port Washington, NY 11050
Long Island – Suffolk
Parker Waichman LLP
201 Old Country Road – Suite 145
Melville, NY 11747
New York
Parker Waichman LLP
59 Maiden Lane, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10038
Queens
Parker Waichman LLP
118-35 Queens Boulevard, Suite 400
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Brooklyn
Parker Waichman LLP
300 Cadman Plaza West
One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
New Jersey
Parker Waichman LLP
80 Main Street, Suite 265
West Orange, NJ 07052
Florida
Parker Waichman LLP
27299 Riverview Center Boulevard
Suite 108
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
Nationwide Service
Parker Waichman LLP
59 Maiden Lane, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10038