According to news sources, studies show that the da Vinci Surgical System may cause serious and life-threatening side effects due to insufficient surgeon training and design flaws, leading plaintiffs and Mississippi da Vinci lawsuit attorneys to file lawsuits to seek compensation for injuries. However, its manufacturer, Intuitive Surgical Inc., maintains that the da Vinci robot is not problematic.
Lawsuits Pending
There are several lawsuits currently pending from plaintiffs and Mississippi da Vinci lawsuit attorneys as well as from victims across the country. In August 2012, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation decided not to centralize five of them into a multidistrict litigation. Patients who believe they or their loved ones have sustained injuries as a result of their physician’s use of the da Vinci Surgical System should consider exploring the possibility of seeking legal counsel from Mississippi da Vinci lawsuit attorneys to pursue a claim against the manufacturer.
What is the Da Vinci Surgical System?
Intuitive designed the system with the belief that many procedures could be performed with more efficiency if technology could replace the surgeon. A four-armed robotic device, the system is operated by a surgeon who sits at a console 20 feet from the operating table. In front of him stands a terminal, foot pedals and joysticks with which he is able to move the device. Supporters of the da Vinci system claim that the robot allows physicians to perform complex procedures in ways they previously could not. Advocates also believe that robotic-assisted surgeries can reduce complications and recovery times for patients.
The da Vinci Surgical System costs $2.6 million, and critics, plaintiffs and their Mississippi da Vinci lawsuit attorneys claim that these procedures do not necessarily lead to improved outcomes. In one particular article, researchers found that a hysterectomy costs patients $1,300 more on average when compared to traditional hysterectomies with no proven benefit to them.
Alleged Side Effects
Claims of serious side effects from plaintiffs and the Mississippi da Vinci lawsuit attorneys representing them include specific conditions that probably would not have otherwise occurred with traditional surgery including:
- Death
- Excessive bleeding
- Over-anesthetization
- Nerve injuries
- Internal burns to blood vessels and organs
- Internal lacerations to organs
Another concern brought forth by Mississippi da Vinci lawsuit attorneys and the plaintiffs they represent is that there is currently no standardized test to ensure proficiency by the surgeons who operate the robot. Intuitive conducts a two-day course for surgeons and trains them on cadavers. Whether the surgeons are allowed to operate on live patients following this course is left up to their individual hospitals, leading to inconsistent requirements and, in some cases, tragedies.
However, Intuitive asserts that the company is fully committed to providing superior training opportunities for surgical teams in the use of its products and systems, but acknowledges that it does not take an active role in determining when a physician is adequately prepared to operate on living humans using the da Vinci robot.
Between six and seven percent of individuals who underwent a procedure involving the da Vinci Surgical System reported suffering from positioning injuries caused by the way their bodies were laying during the operations. Patients’ bodies are often tilted at steep angles, pulling on nerves and muscles depending on how the patient is suspended. The resulting numbness or weakness can last a month, yet some plaintiffs and Mississippi da Vinci lawsuit lawyers allege the numbness was felt for six months or more.
Between 2009 and 2013, the da Vinci Surgical System was linked to 70 deaths. As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent surveys to physicians in early 2013 and asked them to report the complications that their patients had suffered following da Vinci-related procedures. The FDA also asked for which procedures the devices were best suited and required details pertaining to the training that the surgeons underwent prior to using the robot.
Intuitive also allegedly released a warning to surgeons pertaining to the scissors on the device. According to the manufacturer, the scissors contained micro-cracks that may or may not be visible to the naked eye. These cracks have the potential to create a pathway for electric currents to leak into tissues during procedures and cause thermal injuries to the patient. However, the notice was a precaution as Intuitive had not received any reports of patient injury resulting from the scissors.
Seeking Legal Counsel? Mississippi Da Vinci Lawsuit Attorneys Can Help
The process of demanding compensation for injuries you have sustained can be complicated, even if it doesn’t seem fair that you should go through more trouble to recover from injuries that were not your fault. If you or someone you love is suffering from complications, Attorney Group for Mississippi can help. We will review your case at no cost to you and determine if you are eligible to pursue a claim. Should we believe you have a case, we will connect you with experienced Mississippi da Vinci lawsuit attorneys who will handle your claim.
