Medtronic StrataMR Adjustable Valves and Shunts Recalled

According to a recent news article from NASDAQ, Medtronic has begun to voluntarily recall all unused units of their StrataMR product lines.  StrataMR is a line of adjustable valves and shunts that patients and doctors have been complaining about lately.  These complaints range from minor issues to potentially deadly adverse events.  One person has died, but the company has yet to determine the exact cause of the death.xray

The medical devices are used to treat a medical condition known as hydrocephalus, which involves the buildup of fluid on a patient’s brain.  If this fluid is allowed to build up, it presses against the inner layer of skull known as the dura, and this creates a tremendous amount of pressure.  If untreated, this can result in permanent brain injury or even death.StrataMR works by helping to control the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and drain fluid that has already formed.  However, there have been many reports of the devices not sufficiently draining the spinal fluid from the brain.  As our Boston products liability attorneys can explain, this is a serious problem, because it can result in serious injury or death.

The defective StrataMR valves and shunts can also result in the patient falling into a coma. However, before this happens, there are usually symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or fatigue.  If you or a loved one has had a StrataMR implant and are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should call 911 or contact your doctor, as you may be in need of immediate medical attention.

One of the issues is that this was a recall on unused StrataMR systems.  This means that there are thousands of patients who have already had these defective medical devices implanted, and they will obviously not be subject to the product recall. This is not to say that a surgical product recall never includes devices already implanted, but, in this case, the voluntary recall will only affect units that have shipped but have not yet been implanted.

One thing to keep in mind if you or a loved one has been the victim of one of these defective medical devices, or any other defective drug for that matter, is that these cases are often very complex lawsuits in what is known as multijurisdictional litigation.  For this reason, you want to make sure your attorney has experience handling this complex type of litigation.  The drug company will have seemingly unlimited resources and an army of defense attorneys, so you want to makes sure that you have someone on your side who knows what they are dong and will fight for you and your family’s right to a full and appropriate financial recovery.

In terms of what a full and appropriate financial recovery means in a defective medical products case, this could include money for pain and suffering, lost wages, past medical expenses, future medical expenses, and the cost of rehabilitation, as well as certain special damages.  In the case of a wrongful death case, damages could also include money for funeral expenses and loss of consortium.

If you are the victim of Massachusetts product liability, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.

Additional Resources:

Medtronic Initiates Product Recall, A Drag on Neurosurgery, April 10, 2017, Zacks Equity Research, NASDAQ

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