Bard PowerPort
The Bard PowerPort first hit the market in 2000, intended to provide relief and offer a less-invasive treatment method for its already-suffering users. Used for patients who require repeated delivery of medication into the bloodstream, the device is surgically implanted under a patient’s skin, allowing prolonged access to their vascular system.
The Powerport is comprised of two parts: the port and the catheter. The port is a small device, approximately the size of a quarter, that sits under the skin. This port connects to the catheter, a tube linked to a large central vein that delivers fluids and medications into the bloodstream.
Common Complications of Bard PowerPort
The Bard PowerPort has been exposed to cause an array of serious health complications, with some cases even resulting in death. The National Law Review reports that among these complications include:
- Catheter fracture
- Catheter migration
- Infection
- Blood clots, thrombosis
- Cardiovascular damage
One of the most frequent of these is the catheter fracture, with or without migration. This phenomenon refers to when pieces of the device break off while in the body. With migration, or the movement of these pieces throughout the body, there can be complications even possibly including neurological problems, and patients must undergo emergency surgery to remove the device and broken pieces. Alternatively, catheter migration can occur without fracture as well, in which case the device floats intact inside the body, causing similar issues.
Claims Against Bard PowerPort
The lawsuits against Bard PowerPort claim that Bard was aware of the dangers of their product and continued to promote it regardless. Specifically, a material called Chronoflex AL was used in the manufacturing of the device. Chronoflex AL was found to be linked to PowerPort fracturing and migration due to its chemical component barium sulfate, an agent that makes the catheter less durable and more prone to fissure and other faults.
Despite receiving numerous reports detailing incidents in which the device provoked problematic incidents, Bard continued to advocate for its sale. This has resulted in a landslide of cases against the company, currently totaling over 300, according to the Lawsuit Information Center.
In August 2023, a MultiDistrict Litigation (MDL) was created, consolidating the lawsuits nationwide. Recently, a set of 24 cases has been chosen as bellwether trials, or the initial group to go to trial. According to Drugwatch, these trials are critical in the MDL as their results will indicate the likely outcomes for the remaining cases.
Contact an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney
The attorneys of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. have recovered over $2.5 billion on behalf of their deserving clients, including more than 350 case results exceeding $1 million. Throughout the past four decades, our attorneys have successfully won many medical malpractice verdicts, including verdicts of $32,747,000 and $29,100,000.
Have you suffered an adverse medical outcome because of a Bard PowerPort? If so, you need an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to help you seek the fair compensation you deserve. Contact the team at Salvi Schostok & Pritchard P.C. today to get started with your free consultation.
