Surgical burns are among the da Vinci surgery complications cited in a number of lawsuits. Many of these claims place the blame for such injuries on the da Vinci robot’s use of monopolar energy.
New York, NY (PRWEB) May 10, 2013
As da Vinci robot lawsuits continue to mount in courts throughout the country, Intuitive Surgical is alerting hospitals about an instrument issue that has the potential to cause surgical burns in some da Vinci patients. According to a May 10th report from CNBC, the company has issued an Urgent Device Notification to hospitals, alerting them that “micro-cracks" in some models of the monopolar curved scissors used with the da Vinci Surgical System can cause leaks that "may create a pathway for electrosurgical energy to leak to tissue during use and potentially cause thermal injury." According to the report, the notification stated that the micro-cracks may not be visible to the user.*
“Surgical burns are among the da Vinci surgery complications cited in a number of lawsuits. Many of these claims place the blame for such injuries on the da Vinci robot’s use of monopolar energy, with plaintiffs alleging that the electrical current can unintentionally jump from the robot’s arm if the insulation between the patient and the device is inadequate,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is currently offering free da Vinci robot lawsuit consultations to individuals who allegedly suffered serious complications in hysterectomies, prostate removals and other procedures involving the da Vinci Surgical System.
Da Vinci Robot Lawsuits
Launched in 2000, the da Vinci Surgical System was used in some 300,000 minimally invasive surgeries last year. On February 28th, Bloomberg.com reported that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had launched a survey of doctors to determine if an increase in reports of da Vinci complications could be the result of a problem with the technology. According to the report, complaints to the FDA associated with the da Vinci robot jumped to at least 115 in 2012 from 24 in 2009. The da Vinci robot was also associated with 70 deaths in informal incident reports sent to the agency since 2009, Bloomberg said.**
On April 19th, Intuitive Surgical disclosed that it had been named in 26 lawsuits filed on behalf of patients who allegedly suffered serious da Vinci surgery complications. All of the lawsuits claim these injuries were the result of defects in the da Vinci Surgical System and/or Intuitive’s failure to provide adequate training resources to healthcare professionals.***
The nation’s first trial involving a da Vinci robot lawsuit is now underway in Washington state court. The wrongful death lawsuit was filed on behalf of a patient who died last August, allegedly due to serious injuries he sustained in a da Vinci prostatectomy. (Estate of Fred E. Taylor v. Intuitive Surgical Inc., 09-2-03136-5, Superior Court, State of Washington, Kitsap County) According to a notice entered in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana on March 14th, Intuitive Surgical has already agreed to settle one da Vinci robot lawsuit filed by a woman who allegedly suffered serious complications during a thyroid procedure. (Silvestrini v. Intuitive Surgical Systems Inc., No. 11-2704, E.D. La)
Victims of alleged da Vinci surgery complications may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. A wealth of information regarding da Vinci robot lawsuits is available at Bernstein Liebhard LLP’s website. For additional information, please call Bernstein Liebhard LLP today at (877) 779-1414.
*cnbc.com/id/100726886
**bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-28/intuitive-surgical-robots-probed-by-u-s-in-survey-of-surgeons.html
*** sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1035267/000119312513162385/d508282d10q.htm
About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the “Plaintiffs’ Hot List,” recognizing the top plaintiffs’ firms in the country, for the past 10 consecutive years.
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Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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