The Bard PowerPort is an implanted port catheter device positioned just beneath the skin to facilitate easy attachment to a catheter for the intravenous administration of fluids or medications. Unfortunately, the Bard PowerPort possesses inherent design and manufacturing flaws, increasing its susceptibility to fracturing and shifting from its intended position. This defect has the potential to result in severe injuries, including internal vascular damage.
Individuals who have suffered injuries due to a faulty Bard PowerPort device are pursuing product liability lawsuits against the manufacturer responsible for producing these implants. Our law firm is actively receiving cases from individuals who have had a Bard PowerPort catheter device implanted and subsequently experienced injuries resulting from fracture, migration, or other malfunctions of the implant.
About the PowerPort
The Bard PowerPort is a port/catheter system manufactured and designed by Bard Access Systems, Inc., (now a subsidiary of Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD). This PowerPort is fully implantable vascular access catheter designed to facilitate recurrent access to the vascular system for the administration of medications, intravenous fluids, nutrition solutions, and blood products. It is most often used by cancer patients for chemo treatment.
Specifically engineered to simplify the direct delivery of medications into the patient’s bloodstream, the Bard PowerPort is surgically implanted entirely beneath the skin, remaining in place post-surgery. The PowerPort is composed of two key elements—an injection port and a polyurethane catheter. The system operates by utilizing the injection port’s raised center, or “septum,” for medication delivery via a needle. Subsequently, the medication travels from the port through a small, flexible tube (catheter) inserted into a blood vessel.
The catheter component of the Bard PowerPort is made with Chronoflex AL, a polyurethane material. Unfortunately, a flaw in the chemical design and manufacturing process of Chronoflex catheters has resulted in the PowerPort exhibiting lower strength and durability than originally intended. These inherent shortcomings render the PowerPort vulnerable to fractures, migrations, and other malfunctions post-implantation.
PowerPort Malfunctions and Complications
The Bard PowerPort design flaws have made the device prone to 3 primary complications or post-implantation failures. These 3 primary complications are described below.
- Fracture
The primary issue encountered with the Bard PowerPort is the frequent occurrence of port fracture. Material flaws in the PowerPort render it brittle, leading to a heightened susceptibility of the tubing and other components to fracture or break, potentially causing them to lodge within the patient’s vascular system. Fracturing of the PowerPort poses a grave risk of severe injuries and vascular damage.
- Migration
The same design flaws that make the Bard PowerPort likely to fracture, also make the device prone to post-implantation migration (moving out of its original position). This flaw-induced migration involves the flexible tube segments inserted into the blood vessel, either independently or in conjunction with a Bard PowerPort fracture post-implantation.
- Infection
PowerPort infections stem from the inherent material deficiencies in the Bard PowerPort, allowing bacteria ingress upon material fracture or degradation. Internal infections originating at the port site emerge as the third major complication associated with this device.
Injuries Caused by the PowerPort
The manufacturing and design problems with the Bard PowerPort make the device very prone to fracture after being implanted. Fracturing of the port implant can often cause it to migrate from its original implant site and cause serious internal vascular damage. The PowerPort’s design defects also make it prone to a number of other malfunctions.
Fracture and migration of the PowerPort has led to a variety of very serious injuries including: hemorrhage; cardiac/pericardial tamponade (pressure caused by a collection of blood in the area around the heart); thromboembolism; infection; cardiac arrhythmia; severe and persistent pain; and perforations of tissue, vessels and organs, or the need for additional surgeries to remove the defective device. These complications can cause very serious internal injuries and even death.
Bard Knew About the PowerPort Problems And Did Nothing
Shortly following the market release of the PowerPort, Bard started receiving significant volumes of adverse event reports (“AERs”) from healthcare providers, detailing instances of post-implantation fracturing of the PowerPort. Bard also received a considerable number of AERs noting the discovery of internal vasculature perforation linked to the implant.
Based on these AERs and other information, Bard clearly knew or should have known that the PowerPort exhibited a notably higher failure rate compared to similar products available on the market. Bard should have also recognized that the issues plaguing the PowerPort were tied to flaws inherent in the Chronoflex material utilized in manufacturing the device. Despite being aware of this critical information, Bard neglected to warn consumers about these risks or adopt a different, more dependable material for the device.
The accumulation of adverse event reports regarding fracturing and internal vasculature perforation associated with the Bard PowerPort should have served as clear indicators prompting Bard to take proactive measures, including adequate consumer warnings and transitioning to a more reliable material. However, Bard’s failure to act upon this knowledge exposed consumers to avoidable risks and perpetuated the persistence of known issues with the device.
PowerPort Lawsuits
In recent years, the design flaw in the PowerPort have led to a growing tide of Bard PowerPort lawsuits. These lawsuits have been brought by individuals who underwent Bard PowerPort implantation and subsequently sustained severe injuries following post-implantation fractures or malfunctions.
The lawsuits target Bard Access Systems Inc., the manufacturer, and its parent company, Beckton Dickinson, in product liability claims. Allegations put forth in these lawsuits assert classic failure to warn claims based on the fact that Bard had prior knowledge of the device’s issues. Furthermore, instead of modifying the PowerPort’s design to enhance safety or adequately cautioning users about associated dangers, Bard continued actively and aggressively promoting the device as safe, despite being cognizant of numerous reports detailing catheter fractures, infections, and other serious injuries.
Moreover, the legal claims argue that Bard’s warnings suggested that device fracture would only occur if physicians incorrectly placed the device, allowing for “compression or pinch-off.” In reality, however, internal knowledge within Bard indicated that these devices were fracturing and causing severe injuries due to design flaws, manufacturing defects, and insufficient warnings. In essence, Bard’s attempt to shift blame onto doctors for device flaws is contradicted by internal understanding that the defects were inherent in the device itself.
Are You Eligible to File a Bard PowerPort Lawsuit?
You may be eligible to file a Bard PowerPort lawsuit and seek financial compensation if you meet the following criteria:
- You had a PowerPort catheter device implanted
- After implantation your Bard PowerPort fractured, migrated, or otherwise malfunctioned
- You suffered serious physical injuries as a direct result of the problems experienced with your PowerPort implant
Some of the more common injuries related to failure or malfunction of the Bard PowerPort implant are:
- Infection related to the PowerPort
- Hemorrhaging
- Cardiac problems
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
- Perforation of veins or other tissue by the PowerPort
Contact Us About a Bard PowerPort Lawsuit
Our firm is currently accepting new cases from individuals who were injured by a defective Bard PowerPort implant. Contact us today at 888-322-3010 on contact us online for a free consultation.