A man from Michigan says that Atrium Medical Corp., Maquet Cardiovascular US Sales, and Getinge AB are responsible for manufacturing defective hernia mesh.
The lead plaintiff says he suffered severe and permanent physical injuries after Atrium C-Qur hernia mesh was implanted into his body. This Atrium C-Qur lawsuit joins multidistrict litigation that hit various medical device companies alleging that the polypropylene mesh causes severe reactions in some individuals and is defective.
According to the Atrium C-Qur lawsuit, the plaintiff had hernia mesh implanted at a Michigan hospital in 2014. The plaintiff says he suffered complications from the mesh, including infection, pain, and a rash and had to have the Atrium C-Qur removed.
The lawsuit alleges that the medical device companies who developed, marketed and sold the Atrium C-Qur mesh knew the product was defective and not suited for use as a hernia mesh because it contained polypropylene. However, the companies told doctors and patients that the substance was inert.
Specifically, according to the Atrium C-Qur lawsuit, the mesh is coated in blend of Omega 3 Fatty Acid Fish Oil (O3FA).
“The O3FA is derived from fish. Fish are considered to be commonly allergenic. If various remnants of the fish, such as proteins, remain in the O3FA coating, allergic reactions can occur, ranging from increased sensitivity and rashes to death,” points out the lawsuit.
Further, says the Atrium C-Qur lawsuit, if a stay protein remains in the fish oil coating, it is likely to cause a reaction in the person implanted with the mesh.
The lawsuit alleges that Atruim and its associated medical device companies failed to adequately test the fish oil that was ultimately used to coat the Atrium C-Qur implanted in the plaintiff and that coating likely had remaining proteins that caused a severe reaction.
Additionally, the fish oil coating has been known to peel off of the hernia mesh and can float in the body or “ball up, causing an even more intense foreign body reaction.”
The result can be rejection and other medical complications, says the Atrium C-Qur lawsuit. Additionally, the detached coating makes recovery of the hernia mesh difficult if it is necessary to remove it due to the patient’s reaction.
The Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies have expressed “stark concerns” about the Atrium C-Qur hernia mesh and its fish oil coating.
“Upon receiving reports from surgeons and physicians of apparent allergic reactions to the C-Qur Mesh, Defendants not only failed to notify the FDA, but misled physicians about the ability and tendency of O3FA to cause allergic reactions in patients implanted with a C-Qur Mesh and attempted to convince the physicians of alternate causes,” alleges the lawsuit.
Hernia mesh failure can occur up to five years after it is implanted into the body.
If you or a loved one were implanted with Atrium C-Qur hernia mesh and have suffered complications, contact the attorneys at McDonald Worley for a FREE case review..