Lawsuits have been filed by people who were injured by TIVAD Ports, also called Totally Implanted Ports or Port-a-Caths.
Need a Texas TIVAD Implanted Port Injury Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was injured by a TIVAD Implanted Port or a Port-a-Cath, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
Totally Implanted Port Lawsuit Claims it Leaks Medication
The family of a cancer patient who was injured when his Vortex Implanted Port leaked medication has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers, AngioDynamics and Navilyst.
Who Filed the Lawsuit?
The patient, Jesus L. III, was a man from Texas who died in May 2021. As part of his treatment, doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston implanted an AngioDynamics Vortex Port in June 2019.
Only two week later, he needed another surgery to remove the port after doctors discovered that it was leaking chemotherapy medications.
Lawsuit Clams Vortex Port is Prone to Leaking
The lawsuit claims that the Vortex Port can leak. “The Vortex has an increased risk that the catheter will separate from the injection port, causing medication and administered fluids to leak into the tissue of the port implantation site,” according to the lawsuit.
What is a TIVAD?
Totally Implanted Venous-Access Devices (TIVAD) are implantable ports that deliver intravenous (I.V.) medications or fluids. They are also sometimes called a “Totally Implanted Port” or a Port-a-Cath.
Why Do Doctors Use Totally Implanted Ports?
Implantable ports are growing in popularity for patients who need long-term or repeated intravenous access, especially cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. They are also popular for patients who need repeated blood samples, parenteral nutrition, blood transfusions, other IV medications, or routine infusions in veins that are hard to access.
Advantages of Having a Totally Implanted Port
There are many advantages to having a totally implanted port instead of a traditional port. Here are a few examples:
- TIVADs do not require frequent dressings and medical care.
- They can deliver medications into larger veins, which is helpful for chemotherapy drugs that can cause irritation and pain in smaller veins.
- TIVADs are completely under the skin, so they are invisible and less likely to be accidentally damaged.
- Patients with TIVADs can even go swimming if they want to exercise.
How Does a TIVAD Work?
Patients with a TIVAD have a silicone injection port that is implanted just under the skin on their arm or chest. The port is connected to a long tube called a catheter that sits inside a big vein. The doctor or nurse inserts a needle through the patient’s skin into the port, and injects medication through the catheter directly into the bloodstream.
Examples of Totally Implanted Ports
- Bard PowerPort Implantable Port
- BioFlo Port by Angioflow
- Vortex Port by Angioflow
- Power Port by Bard
- XCELA
- Navilyst / Angiodynamics
- Medcomp
- Dignity Low Profile CT Ports
- Duo Power Port by Bard
- Palpation Points (discontinued at Massachusetts General Hospital due to high incidence of erosion)
Cook Medical Recalls Vital-Port for Leaks and Embolizations
In March 2018, Cook Medical issued a Class II recall for about 31,000 Vital-Port Vascular Access Systems.
The risk was that a needle provided with the Vital-Port could cut out a piece of silicone during the implantation procedure, according to an Urgent Medical Device Recall.
The silicone could “embolize into the patient’s bloodstream. In addition, medications may leak from the port, resulting in inadequate delivery of the medication and potential injury to the surrounding tissues,” the recall warns.
Bard Port Port Duo Recalled for Risk of Catheter Fractures
In March 2021, Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc. issued a Class II recall for Power Port Duo M.R.I. Implantable Ports. The recall warns: “Catheters may experience difficulty in flushing, infusion, and/or aspiration, and septum dislodgements.”
Need a TIVAD Implanted Port Injury Lawyer in Texas?
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