According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Stöckert 3T and LivaNova PLC Heater-Cooler devices, which are used during open heart surgery, were possibly contaminated during manufacturing. Over 250,000 heart bypass procedures using heater-cooler devices are performed in the United States every year, and the devices in question are used in over 60% of those procedures.
The CDC stated that symptoms such as muscle aches, unexplained fever, weight loss and night sweats can go undiagnosed for months or years. Patients with compromised immune systems, valves or prosthetic product implants are more vulnerable to infections and run a higher risk of serious complications.
