Da Vinci lawsuit attorneys can help patients who have been injured by the robotic surgical device. The da Vinci Surgical System is promoted to provide patients with benefits over conventional surgery methods including quicker recovery times, reduced blood loss, less pain and smaller incisions using minimally-invasive methods. However, lawsuits against the manufacturer, claim that the robotic arms are often uncontrollable and that the device may unintentionally cauterize or burn otherwise healthy organs. Affected patients may be eligible to seek compensation with the help of a defective medical device lawyer.
For more information, contact Attorney Group today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with affiliated da Vinci lawsuit attorneys who can assist you throughout the legal process.
How the da Vinci Surgical System Works
The robotic arms of the machine are placed inside the body via small incisions. The console features joystick-like controls which the surgeon manipulates to observe and perform the procedure. The technology converts a surgeon’s hand movements into responsive and accurate micro-movements of the robotic instruments within the patient.
The system is used in more than 2,000 hospitals across the globe, with 1,371 facilities located in the United States. In 2012 alone, Intuitive estimates that over 450,000 procedures were completed with the da Vinci Surgical System. Approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000, the robot continues to be the only system cleared for use in the country for prostate removal, soft-tissue surgeries and gynecological procedures.
In recent years, the types of procedures have expanded to include gall bladder surgeries and operations on the pancreas, colon, prostate, heart, lung and thyroid. However, several medical organizations such as the Kaiser Foundation and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have become critical of the effectiveness of da Vinci-assisted procedures and classify the robot as one of many defective medical devices.
Some medical experts have criticized Intuitive’s alleged offer to train one or two surgeons at each facility over a two-day period on the da Vinci Surgical System. Following this session, it was then reportedly up to each hospital whether the facility wanted to pay for training for each surgeon or allow physicians to attempt to operate the robot under the eye of a professional instead. Plaintiffs who are alleging injuries with the help of da Vinci lawsuit attorneys claim that the physicians did not have the skills or training necessary to perform successful procedures.
Da Vinci Lawsuit Claims
As of May 2013, more than 26 da Vinci robot lawsuits were pending in courts across the U.S. The lawsuits are filed by da Vinci lawsuit attorneys on behalf of plaintiffs who allegedly experienced severe side effects either during a procedure or following a surgery performed with the da Vinci robot. Plaintiffs claim that they suffered from cut ureters, bowel injuries, excessive bleeding and some are filing claims on behalf of loved ones who had died after a surgery.
Other claims include allegations that the device has a high risk of inadvertently cauterizing, burning and cutting the tissues in nearby areas as the electric current may pass from the robotic arm outside the operative area. Plaintiffs and da Vinci lawsuit attorneys are also reporting injuries to the blood vessels, bowel, bladder, vaginal cuff, ureters and arteries.
Da Vinci lawsuit attorneys experienced in defective medical devices are also working with plaintiffs who allege that Intuitive misled the public and withheld valuable safety information in an effort to boost their stock value. The inflated stock prices did not, according to some claims, accurately reflect the product nor the company as Intuitive was allegedly not forthcoming with all related safety information.
News sources report that the Associated Press has noted over 500 adverse events since January 2012 that have allegedly occurred during or following a procedure with the da Vinci Surgical System. Unfortunately, due to the $2 million price tag of each system, plaintiffs are also claiming that they were not made fully aware of the risks and side effects of the procedure before they agreed to treatment. Da Vinci lawsuit attorneys argue that hospitals owning these allegedly defective medical devices potentially hid the risks in order to recoup the cost of the system; had patients been more aware of the potential for complications, many of them may not have chosen that type of procedure in the first place, and the hospital would have lost money it spent on the system.
How da Vinci Lawsuit Attorneys Can Help
Medical device makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their devices, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a device maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
Patients who are injured by a da Vinci Surgical System may be entitled to compensation for damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- The permanency of the injury
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of income or ability to work
If a patient dies from complications related to a defective da Vinci Surgical System, family members may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of a loved one prior to death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from the loss of a loved one
- Funeral expenses
Patients who have suffered severe complications from da Vinci Surgical System, as well as the families of those who have died as a result of complications with the device, are encouraged to seek the advice of a da Vinci lawsuit attorneys to learn more about their rights and remedies.
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