Abdominal Injury During Laparoscopy

Laparoscopy is one of the most common abdominal surgical procedures performed around the world. It is a minimally invasive surgery, which a surgeon performs by making several small incisions, each one about ½” in size, through which surgical instruments are inserted. Minimizing the size of the surgical incision greatly reduces the patient’s post-operative healing time, decreases the patient’s risk of developing a post-operative hernia, and minimizes surgical scars.

Unfortunately, the very small size of the laparoscopic incisions limits the surgeon’s view while entering the patient’s abdomen.  This limited view during insertion of sharp surgical instruments can cause serious injury to the patient.  If the surgeon is negligent in placing surgical tools too deep into the patient’s abdominal cavity, blood vessels or bowel are damaged and the patient can suffer life-threatening injuries such as internal bleeding (hemorrhage from a lacerated artery or vein) or sepsis (infection spread from a perforated or lacerated small intestine or bowel).

Vascular injury (injury to blood vessels) and bowel injury are the most common injuries suffered by patients having laparoscopic surgery and very often occur just as the abdomen is being entered and before the intended surgical procedure begins.  Major injury can occur when the Veress needle (a special needle used inflate the abdomen) or a trocar (a sharply pointed metal tube through which surgical tools are passed in and out of the abdomen) is negligently inserted into an artery, vein, colon, small intestine, ureter or other internal organ.

Additionally, a medical mistake can occur when the weight of a patient is not taken into consideration before surgery. In thinner patients, the distance between the anterior abdominal wall (where there are layers of abdominal muscle and tendons) and the retroperitoneal vascular structures (the major blood vessels located just behind the abdominal wall) is incredibly small. The distance between the abdominal wall and the thin patient’s aorta, iliac artery, and other great vessels may be as little as two centimeters. The distal aorta and right common iliac artery are particularly prone to injury and can be cut or damaged by negligent trocar placement at the beginning of the laparoscopic procedure.

Before laparoscopy is performed on a patient, the patient must be properly evaluated, including a full clinical history and thorough clinical examination. If you would like to discuss your potential claim arising from an injury during laparoscopy, the attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation.

At The Yost Legal Group, you will never pay an attorney’s fee unless we achieve a recovery for you. We don’t get paid until you do

Stryker Issues Voluntary Recall Due To Defective Parts In Metal Hip Implant Devices

Stryker Corporation is one of the leading manufacturers of metal hip implant devices. In the past, defective Stryker metal hip implants have caused serious injuries and adverse reactions in thousands of patients. In some cases, patients have even required revision surgery in order to remove and replace the defective Stryker hip implant parts.

Stryker recently issued a voluntary recall of all LFit V40 femoral heads manufactured between 2001 and 2011. Stryker LFit V40 femoral heads are prone to a high failure rate and pose potential risks to patient health and safety.  These defective hip components start to corrode. This can release harmful metal particles into the tissue and bloodstream surrounding the joint.

Government oversight agencies in both Canada and Australia have already issued safety warnings to doctors and patients about the high rate of failure among LFit V40 Femoral Head components. The Canadian government went as far as to issue an official recall of these components, sighting “higher than expected complaints of…failure.”

This is not the first time that a metal hip implant device manufactured by Stryker Corporation has been recalled due to safety concerns. In 2012, the FDA recalled all Stryker Rejuvenate and ABGII metal hip implant devices after patients complained that the devices failed and broke down at rates that were much higher than expected.

Stryker marketed their metal hip implant devices by promising patients and doctors increased durability and improved recovery times, compared to hip implant devices made from other manufacturers.

Unfortunately, once Patients that received a defective Stryker metal hip implant can experience painful and dangerous complications, including:

  • Osteolysis (bone dissolution)
  • Synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane)
  • Pseudo-tumors
  • Fluid in the joint
  • Tissue and bone necrosis
  • Metal poisoning in the blood
  • Revision surgery

If you or a loved one is experiencing any adverse reactions from Hip Replacement Surgery or if you have required painful Revision Hip Surgery, call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529).

When you call, one of our experienced Defective Medical Device attorneys will speak with you for FREE. The Yost Legal Group is made up of experienced attorneys ready to pursue your case with compassion and determination. We stand up to major medical device manufacturers on behalf of our clients and will fight hard to protect your rights.

The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights