Heart surgery device at KU Med is blamed for patient's death. Here’s what to know

A trial is underway in Wyandotte County District Court over allegations that a contaminated heater-cooler device used during a Raytown man’s open-heart surgery at The University of Kansas Hospital led to a deadly infection. Stephen Nolte’s family is suing device manufacturer LivaNova USA Inc. after Nolte contracted a Mycobacterium chimaera infection and died on July 8, 2020.

FULL STORY: Family blames KU Med and maker of heart surgery device in deadly infection trial

Here are key takeaways:

• Nolte underwent an aortic valve replacement at The University of Kansas Hospital on March 6, 2019. His family’s attorney said the heater-cooler device used in surgery was contaminated with M. chimaera when it was manufactured in Germany.

• The University of Kansas Hospital Authority settled confidentially with the Nolte family shortly before the trial, with no admission of liability. LivaNova USA Inc. remains the sole defendant in the case.

• Twenty-nine other KU Med patients developed M. chimaera in the same time frame, the plaintiffs’ attorney said. Related lawsuits indicate that 11 of 25 patients died and others are living with life-altering health problems.

• The plaintiffs allege LivaNova’s device design was dangerous, its manufacturing process was defective and it failed to monitor whether KU Med was properly maintaining loaner devices.

• LivaNova’s attorney told jurors the hospital stopped disinfecting the heater-cooler units after October 2018 and then experienced an outbreak. During the prior period when KU Med followed cleaning instructions, he said there were no confirmed M. chimaera infections.

• The trial is expected to last about three weeks.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.