Sprint Fidelis Leads

Internal cardioverter defibrillators are used to monitor and regulate the heartbeat of patients who suffer from sudden and life-threatening arrhythmias. The defibrillators are implanted in the patient, and the leads channel from the device to the heart. These leads help the device communicate with the heart, and also provide the pathway to deliver an electric jolt if needed, to return the heart to a regular rhythm.

The Sprint Fidelis leads are narrower than previous models, which made them easier to implant. However, patients began experiencing lead problems when the wires began to spontaneously break. When a Medtronic lead fracture occurred, the heart could not accurately communicate with the defibrillator. In some cases, this means that the defibrillator would mistakenly receive a message that the heart was beating irregularly, and therefore the defibrillator would send a jolt of electricity to the heart. In other cases, a heart might be beating abnormally, but the leads would not transmit that message, thereby creating a life-threatening condition.

Medtronic Lead Recall

Unlike a food or pharmaceutical recall, a patient with a questionable Sprint Fidelis lead cannot just discontinue using the product. Because it is intertwined with the heart, it can be tricky to remove the leads. In fact, of the 13 known fatalities attributed to the use of Sprint Fidelis leads, four of them occurred as a result of the process of removing the leads.

While Medtronic did recall the Sprint Fidelis leads, they acknowledge that patients with asymptomatic leads should leave them in place. Those patients are in limbo while they wonder if their device is working, or while they fear an unneeded “kick in the chest.”

Patients who need to have their recalled leads removed are advised to seek a surgeon experienced in lead removal at a medical facility that frequently performs this process.

Patients Frustration Results in Medtronic Lawsuits

Many of the 125,000 people who still have the recalled leads implanted are frustrated. They claim that the Sprint Fidelis leads had problems soon after it hit the market. They believe that Medtronic was aware of these problems, but did not choose to recall the product for years. As a result, patients are filing lawsuits seeking compensation for the injuries, psychological distress and financial expenses they have endured.

If you have a defibrillator with recalled Sprint Fidelis leads, we invite you to contact us for a free consultation to discuss your legal options including filing a Medtronic lead lawsuit. As always, there are never any fees unless we win compensation for your case.

However, FDA has received reports of complications associated with the hernia mesh. The complications include adverse reactions to the mesh, adhesions (when the loops of the intestines adhere to each other or the mesh), and injuries to nearby organs, nerves or blood vessels. Other complications of hernia repair can occur with or without the mesh, including infection, chronic pain and hernia recurrence. Most of the complications reported so far have been associated with mesh products that have been recalled and are no longer on the market.

Which hernia mesh patches have been recalled?

The hernia mesh patches that have been recalled were manufactured by Davol, Inc., and released under the brand names Bard, Composix, and Kugel. In some cases, the ring in these hernia repair mesh patches has broken. This has caused severe injuries to patients’ internal organs and tissue, including bowel obstructions, bowel perforations, and chronic enteric fistulas.

The first Kugel mesh recall was issued on December 22, 2005, when Davol, Inc. recalled its extra large hernia mesh patch. Davol notified U.S. customers of the initial recall by letter on December 27, 2005, which it sent via Federal Express.

In March 2006, the recall was expanded. Since the March 2006 recall expansion, Davol received four confirmed complaints of recoil ring breakage from one of their product codes manufactured between January 2004 and September 2005. Davol issued letters to hospitals and health care professionals on March 24, 2006, alerting them to the additional recalled products.

On January 10, 2007, Davol, Inc. issued another hernia mesh recall for patches that were manufactured before October 2005. Davol sent letters to health care professionals and distributors notifying them of the most recent expansion of this recall of specific lots of Bard, Composix, and Kugel mesh patches. The letter stated that surgeons and hospitals should stop using the recalled product and return unused units to the company.

Hernia Mesh Lawsuit
If you or a family member has been affected by hernia mesh problems please contact us for a free no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options and the latest hernia patch lawsuit news.

Almost any nutrient or chemical that can get through the natural filter between mother and child can affect a baby negatively or positively. Because we live in such a medication and chemical filled world today, we are just starting to realize what effects our choices of medications can have on our growing children. One such medication that can have terrible side effects for developing babies is Paxil, an antidepressant medication not recommended for pregnant women but often prescribed for them anyways.

What Does Paxil Do?

Paxil is a medication that falls into the category of serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors. Serotonin is the chemical in your brain that causes sensations of well-being and happiness. It is released, at certain times, into the spaces between your brain’s neurons, the synapses. The chemical has an almost immediate effect, but it is almost immediately reabsorbed by the neuron.

While causes of depression are still really unknown, we do know that depressed people can often feel better if this reuptake process is slowed somewhat. If serotonin is given a chance to sit between the synapses for longer, depressed people may feel better. Paxil and other reuptake inhibitors may work very well for the chronically depressed, but they can definitely harm developing babies.

How Paxil Affects Babies

Paxil birth defects are still being studied, but it’s clear that the when the medication is used by pregnant women, particularly during their first and third trimesters, it can be incredibly harmful to developing children. One theory is that serotonin in a developing baby’s brain, a brain which is already beginning to form during the first trimester, helps to develop things like vision, thought, and memory. By disrupting the natural serotonin reuptake process, Paxil side effects may cause a child to be depressed and sad more often than other children, as well as to develop more slowly.

Besides these developmental problems, though, Paxil birth defects can be much more severe. It is difficult to understand why, but this drug can cause cranial and heart defects in developing babies. It is also likely to cause babies to have PPHN, a potentially fatal disorder that causes the heart to function improperly at birth.

If you or a family member has developed Paxil birth defects or Paxil PPHN, it may be time to look into your legal options including a Paxil lawsuit. Many people have argued that the manufacturer of this drug did not adequately warn doctors and pregnant women of its risks for unborn children.

Short-Term Accutane Side Effects

The side effects of Accutane in the short term can be frustrating and annoying, and they may simply leave you feeling sick all the time. These side effects include things like headaches, fatigue, brittle nails, and muscle pain. Even though Accutane is meant to get rid of acne, it can actually cause worse skin problems, such as infections, acne flare-ups, and severely dry skin. It may also cause more serious problems, such as menstrual issues and increased sensitivity to sunlight.

These side effects are bad enough, especially considering the fact that the medication isn’t even meant to treat a life-threatening problem. It gets even worse, though, when you look at the Accutane long-term side effects that have been found in various patients.

Accutane Side Effects Long Term

One of the most devastating long-term side effects of this medication is Accutane Ulcerative Colitis or Accutane Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Both of these digestive problems can wreak havoc on an otherwise healthy person’s life, and many users of this drug have taken the company to court over their long-term side effects. Accutane Crohn’s lawsuits are also being filed, as the medication has also been linked to this terrible disease when used for a number of months or years.

Although an Accutane lawsuit for Crohn’s Disease is one of the most common type of lawsuit coming from users of the medication, it can also have some other devastating long-term side effects. These may include severe depression accompanied by suicidal thoughts, or even birth defects in babies of women who are taking the medication on a regular basis while they are pregnant. Liver damage due to an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in this medication is also a somewhat common side effect for those who take the drug over the long term.

What Can You Do?

In order to first avoid Accutane side effects and Accutane long term side effects, you need to talk with your doctor about the medication. It may be a feasible short-term acne treatment solution for some patients, but it can also cause these serious problems. It is vital that you don’t take any other medications with Accutane, unless specifically directed to do so by a doctor who is aware of the fact that you are on this particular medication.

If you have already had problems with Accutane Crohn’s, Accutane IBD, or any other Accutane symptoms and problems, it may be worthwhile to contact an attorney with experience in this area. An Accutane lawsuit settlements attorney may be able to help you get compensation from the manufacturing company of Accutane.

What manufacturer and what products are causing infections?
The hernia mesh patches that have been associated with infections were manufactured by Davol, Inc. They have been released under the brand names Bard, Composix, and Kugel. These mesh patches were approved by the FDA in 1996.

Are these products still on the market?
The hernia mesh patches that have caused most infections are no longer on the market. The first hernia mesh recall was issued on December 22, 2005, when Davol, Inc. recalled its extra large Kugel mesh patch. In March 2006, the recall was expanded. Since the March 2006 recall expansion, Davol received four confirmed complaints of recoil ring breakage from one of their product codes manufactured between January 2004 and September 2005. Davol issued letters to hospitals and health care professionals on March 24, 2006, alerting them to the additional recalled products.

On January 10, 2007, Davol, Inc. issued another hernia mesh recall for patches that were manufactured before October 2005. Davol sent letters to health care professionals and distributors notifying them of the most recent expansion of this recall of specific lots of Bard, Composix, and Kugel mesh patches. The letter stated that surgeons and hospitals should stop using the recalled product and return unused units to the company.

What effects do hernia mesh infections cause?
In some cases, the ring in the Kugel mesh patch has broken. This has caused the hernia mesh infection, which has lead to severe injuries to patients’ internal organs and tissue, including bowel obstructions, bowel perforations, and chronic enteric fistulas. Other complications include adverse reactions to the mesh, adhesions (when the loops of the intestines adhere to each other or the mesh), and injuries to nerves or blood vessels.

What should I talk to my doctor about before receiving a hernia mesh?
Before having a hernia operation, be sure to let the surgeon know if you’ve had a past reaction to materials used in surgical mesh or sutures, such as polypropylene. The FDA also recommends that you ask specific questions about hernia mesh complications, including the pros and cons of using a surgical mesh, and, if a surgical mesh will be used, what’s been the doctor’s experience with this particular product, and with treating potential hernia mesh complications?

What should I do if I have suffered an infection from a hernia mesh?
If you have experienced any hernia mesh infection, seek immediate medical treatment. Once you have stabilized, you should contact an experienced hernia mesh recall lawyer right away.

What is Reglan?
Reglan is an oral medication used to treat diabetic gastroparesis, which is the delayed movement of food from the stomach into the intestine, and GERD, which is a backup of stomach acid into the esophagus. Symptoms of these conditions include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, heartburn, and chest pain. Reglan is produced by Schwarz Pharma. Reglan was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1985. It is generically known as metoclopramide.

How does Reglan Cause Tardive Dyskinesia?
Reglan tardive dyskinesia is caused by its drug, metoclopramide. It occurs most often when people take Reglan for long periods of time, but in some cases, Reglan tardive dyskinesia can occur after taking the drug for a short period of time.

What are the Symptoms of Reglan Tardive Dyskinesia?
Common symptoms of Reglan tardive dyskinesia include:

• Facial grimacing;
• Jaw swinging;
• Tongue thrusting; and
• Repetitive chewing.

If you experience any of these Reglan tardive dyskinesia symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention.

What is the prognosis for Reglan tardive dyskinesia?
If Reglan tardive dyskinesia is diagnosed and treated early, the condition may be reversed by stopping taking Reglan. However, even if a person stops taking Reglan, the involuntary movements may become worse, and may even be permanent.

The FDA Warns About Reglan Side Effects
The FDA has acknowledged that Reglan can cause tardive dyskinesia and other side effects. On February 26, 2009, the FDA mandated that Reglan have a “black box” warning label on the box. This black box warning is the FDA’s strictest warning. Black Box warnings indicate that a medication has the potential to cause life-threatening side effects.

What other side effects does Reglan cause?
In addition to causing Reglan tardive dyskinesia problems, Reglan can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, jaundice, neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS– a life-threatening neurological condition marked by delirium, fever and muscle rigidity), seizures, aldosteronism, a condition where the adrenal glands produce excessive hormones and cause low blood-potassium levels, and agranulocytosis, a condition characterized by low levels of white blood cells.

Reglan Tardive Dyskinesia Lawsuit
If you have suffered Reglan tardive dyskinesia, you may have important legal rights. A Reglan lawsuit is a way to seek legal justice for damage caused by Reglan.

Your body has a natural clotting mechanism that repairs injuries within your veins and arteries. This mechanism prevents blood from escaping. Once repairs have been completed, an agent called plasmin starts to digest fibrin, one of the main components of a thrombus. This is the process by which clots are dissolved.

When blood clots caused by Yaz form, they do so outside your body’s normal clotting mechanism. As a result, they are not sufficiently dissolved by plasmin. Instead, they remain attached to the venous or arterial walls, where they pose a danger of breaking away and migrating to other areas in your body. Below, you’ll discover how this leads to the dangerous Yaz side effects mentioned earlier.

Venous Thrombosis

Thrombi can form within superficial veins or deep veins. The former lie near the surface of your skin. Clots that form within them rarely pose a serious problem because they do not break away from the venous wall.

By contrast, thrombi that form within the deep veins (i.e. DVT) do pose a problem. Unlike superficial veins, these veins are surrounded by muscles, which contract around them whenever you move your limbs. When the muscles contract, they compress the veins and push blood toward your heart and lungs. These contractions can also cause thrombi to break away from the venous wall. When this happens, they are carried along with your bloodstream.

When Yaz blood clots migrate to your heart and lungs, they pose a danger of finding their way into a pulmonary artery. These arteries feed blood to your lungs. An embolus (i.e. a traveling mass, such as a thrombus) that lodges within one of these arteries can starve the lung tissue of blood. This triggers pulmonary embolism. It is estimated that 90% of diagnosed PE cases are caused by thrombi that have migrated from the deep veins.

Arterial Thrombosis

Thrombi can also form within the arteries. In most cases, this occurs when plaque builds up along the arterial wall and ruptures, which triggers the body’s natural clotting mechanism. Yaz blood clots can also form along the arterial walls. Similar to venous thrombosis, they pose a risk of breaking away.

Veins carry blood to your heart and lungs in order to pick up oxygen. Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from your heart to your organs and tissues. When a thrombus forms within an artery and breaks away, it can migrate to other areas of your body. An embolus can potentially migrate toward your brain.

Your internal carotid artery feeds blood and oxygen to your brain through a supporting network of secondary arteries. An embolus that lodges within one of these arteries can prevent blood and oxygen from reaching a portion of your brain tissue. This causes an ischemic stroke. The brain tissue supplied by the blocked artery begins to die, potentially causing a number of debilitating side effects.

Yaz side effects involving blood clots are dangerous because they can form within the deep veins or arteries. If they break away and travel with your bloodstream, they can trigger pulmonary embolism, stroke, and other serious Yaz problems. If you or someone you know has suffered abnormal clotting after using this birth control pill, contact an experienced birth control attorney. Find out whether you have a legal right to file a Yaz lawsuit against the manufacturer.

Deep vein thrombosis occurs typically in the upper or lower leg, when blood flow slows and begins to pool. This can be the result of a variety of causes including inactivity, physical conditions like obesity or pregnancy, or medications like NuvaRing birth control and other combined hormone contraceptives. As blood clots form, a person with DVT may or may not experience any symptoms. The area may feel warm, painful or weak. One leg may look larger and paler than the other.

If this condition is not treated, blood clots may travel up through the bloodstream to the brain, blocking blood vessels in the brain, causing a stroke. Likewise, blood clots can travel into the lungs, blocking blood vessels there, causing a pulmonary embolism.

Doctors will treat deep vein thrombosis using blood thinners to keep the clots from growing and to prevent them from moving up through the body. Clots will usually dissolve on their own. If necessary, however, doctors may use a catheter to remove the clot, or insert a filter in a vein in the abdomen to keep the clot from getting into the heart or lungs. In extreme cases, doctors may use clot-dissolving agent, but there is a risk of causing excessive bleeding.

Most cases of deep vein thrombosis can be treated effectively, but once you’ve had deep vein thrombosis, you have a higher risk of it reoccurring. In addition, research shows that patients who have been treated for DVT successfully may continue to have long-term problems. In one study, 17-50% of patients who had been treated for DVT still had chronic problems within two years of treatment, including leg swelling and pain, inadequate blood flow through the veins, skin ulcers and hardening of an area of the skin.

Given the long-term effects of DVT, taking steps to prevent DVT from developing in the first place is the first line of defense.

Certain risk factors may not be controllable: people who have heart conditions, obesity or high blood pressure are at a higher risk of developing DVT. Still, maintaining good health and stabilizing these conditions can help. Other lifestyle changes can also be beneficial.

If you are a woman using NuvaRing contraceptive and have deep vein thrombosis, talk with your doctor about treatment options. Then contact us if you have questions regarding any Nuvaring side effects involving blood clots you may have experienced as a result of using this contraceptive. We are currently representing women throughout the United States who have developed a clot while using the birth control ring on a contingency basis, and there are no legal fees unless we win compensation on your case. We offer a free no-obligation consultation regarding your legal options including filing a Nuvaring lawsuit.

The defibrillator is a device that is inserted into the chest and helps regulate the heartbeat. Wires that connect the device to the heart are called leads, and one particular set of leads, under the name of Sprint Fidelis, are more likely to fracture or break. As a result, a person with a fractured lead may receive electric jolts intended to regulate the heart when not needed. Conversely, the device may fail to deliver jolts when needed.

Although Medtronic has notified over 150,000 people in the U.S. who have received this device, this Medtronic lead recall is a difficult one. Often when a product is recalled, such as a food, consumer product or a medicine, the user can simply stop taking it or use an alternate brand. Or, say in the case of an automobile recall, the manufacturer can repair the problem and return the car to the owner.

It’s not so simple in the case of Medtronic. Because the device is implanted, it becomes more difficult and dangerous to operate to replace the leads. Tissue in the body often covers the leads, making them difficult to extract. In some cases, it may be riskier to replace the leads than to leave functioning ones in place. Of the 13 deaths associated with Sprint Fidelis leads, at least four were the result of lead extraction.

So what should a person with a Sprint Fidelis lead do? First, consult with your doctor. He or she can advise you, based on your individual health and heart condition, on your best course of action. If you decide to have the leads extracted, it is important to find a doctor who is experienced in this type of surgery.

If you choose to allow the Sprint Fidelis leads to remain in place, you should know the warning signs of possible fracture. If the device detects an irregular heartbeat, it is designed to give the heart an electric jolt. If your device begins to deliver frequent jolts, see your doctor. Your doctor can run a report from the device to determine if there was an irregular heartbeat at the time of the shock. If so, the device was working appropriately. If not, you may have a malfunction in the device or the lead.

On the other hand, if you are experiencing physical symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, fatigue, or irregular heartbeat and you have NOT been receiving an electric jolt, you should see your doctor to ensure that your ICD is working properly and that there are no other health problems.

Either decision you make will be a difficult one. And although we cannot make that decision for you, we offer free consulting for patients who are navigating this dilemma. We represent all Medtronic lead fracture clients on a contingency basis, which means there are never any legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. For a free-no-obligation consultation, please call toll free or e-mail us to talk with a Medtronic recall lawyer.

Currently Ocella, Yasmin and Yaz litigation is ongoing and there haven’t been any Yaz lawsuit settlement amounts to report for women suffering from gallbladder problems. Doctors normally recommend laparoscopic cholecystectomy to resolve Yaz gallbladder disease symptoms. This is a surgical procedure during which your gallbladder’s connections to nearby structures are cut and the organ is removed. Some women have suffered dangerous bile duct injuries, infection, and other problems as a result of undergoing the procedure.

Some women have also experienced a condition known as postcholecystectomy syndrome (PCS). It is characterized by the same symptoms that are present during a gallbladder attack. Estimates suggest PCS occurs in 5% to 40% of patients who undergo gall bladder removal surgery. The condition can be serious. So too, can the consequences of leaving the underlying cause untreated.

Possible PCS Symptoms Following Yaz Gallbladder Removal Surgery

Symptoms of postcholecystectomy syndrome vary by patient. You may experience the same type of abdominal pain present with symptomatic Yaz gallstones. You might also suffer nausea, bloating, and persistent diarrhea. Jaundice, often present in severe cases of gallbladder disease, is rare with PCS, though still possible.

These symptoms may continue to present immediately following a cholecystectomy, or they can emerge years – even decades – down the road. Identifying their root cause is often problematic since they can be set off by one of many possible triggers.

What Causes Symptoms Associated With PCS?

The most common problems associated with PCS occur due to changes in the way bile flows to the small intestine. Bile is normally stored in the gall bladder where it is concentrated for use in digestion. When food enters the small intestine, the gallbladder contracts, pushing the concentrated fluid into the common bile duct.

Following the removal of the gall bladder, bile flows directly from the liver to the small intestine. This causes the upper portion of the gastrointestinal tract to have continuous exposure to bile fluid. Doctors suspect this exposure can lead to gastritis and in some cases, esophagitis. Both conditions may present symptoms similar to gallbladder disease.

Another possible cause of PCS-related symptoms is sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. The sphincter of Oddi is a small group of muscles located near the bottom of the bile duct. It controls the passage of bile (as well as pancreatic secretions) into the duodenum. If it fails to work properly following a cholecystectomy, fluids may be prevented from flowing into the small intestine. Instead, bile fluid and digestive enzymes from the pancreas will be trapped within the duct. This can cause abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and vomiting.

Because symptoms similar to Yaz and Yasmin gallbladder disease may indicate a serious health risk – for example, pancreatitis or infection – seeking medical attention is critical.

Treating The Underlying Issue

Your doctor will need to perform a thorough examination to diagnose the root cause for symptoms of postcholecystectomy syndrome. Treatment depends entirely upon the triggers indicated by this diagnosis.

For example, if sphincter of Oddi dysfunction is causing the pain, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with balloon dilation of the sphincter muscles can be done. If the root of the problem is gastritis, antacids and proton pump inhibitors can be given to provide a measure of relief. Bile duct stones, duct leaks, strictures, irritable bowel syndrome, and many other problems can potentially cause PCS symptoms. Each is addressed differently, either with medications, through surgery, or both.

Yaz gallbladder disease typically results in the surgical removal of the gallbladder. Even though the operation is common, it poses risks. Bile duct injury may allow bile fluid to leak into the abdominal cavity, causing infection and pain; strictures may cause bile to back up to the liver, eventually damaging the organ; sphincter of Oddi dysfunction can prevent bile and pancreatic secretions from entering the small intestine. These problems can be dangerous.

If you have suffered gallstones, gallbladder disease, or postcholecystectomy syndrome after using Yasmin, Ocella or Yaz birth control, please contact for a free no-obligation consultation and latest news on Yaz lawsuit settlements. You may have the legal right to file a claim for compensation.