Patients who undergo hip or knee surgeries often develop an infection after surgery. Infections can also occur as a result of shoulder, wrist, spine, or other surgery. These infections can be mild, or they can be extremely serious, sometimes resulting in amputations. Soft-tissue infections (SSI) are usually an easily treatable complication. Periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) or deep joint infections (DJI) can be much more severe, even catastrophic. These types of infections, when they occur as a result of a hip or knee replacement, sometimes require the replacement joint to be taken back out. They can even lead to the need for amputation. Oftentimes, a patient with a severe joint infection after surgery will never fully recover.
If you have been diagnosed with a joint infection after surgery, you may have a claim for money damages. Why? Two words: Bair Hugger.
Bair Hugger is the name of a type of blanket used to keep patients warm during surgery. The way it works is by forcing hot air into a special blanket that is draped over the patient. The problem is that the air that flows through this device is not sterile. The Bair Hugger device can actually deposit contamination into the surgical wound.
This harm has been known since at least 2009, when the inventor of Bair Hugger, campaigned against its use due to his realization that the product was harmful. The manufacturer and the physicians may be liable because they knew this product was harmful yet continued to sell and use it, causing serious injuries.