ST JUDE SILZONE Legal News Articles & Interviews

Saint Paul, MN Even though more than 12 years have passed since the St. Jude Silzone heart valve was pulled from the market, lawsuits were still making their way through the courts the past two years, including one lawsuit in Canada. The lawsuits alleged St. Jude manufactured a defective heart valve that developed a valve leak in some patients, resulting in their having surgery to remove the defective St. Jude heart valve.

Milwaukee, WI Problems encountered by patients with regard to the allegedly defective St. Jude heart valve, often wind up with more trouble than they bargained for even after the allegedly defective heart valve is replaced.

Miami, FL Two studies suggest a St. Jude Medical device may not be as effective as thought. The device, known as the St. Jude Amplatzer PFO Occluder was designed to close holes in the patient's heart following a stroke, but two studies suggest the device is no better at preventing repeat strokes in patients than non-surgical treatments. In 2000, certain St. Jude heart valves were recalled after concerns about heart problems linked to the silzone mechanical heart valve. Included in concerns about the reportedly defective heart valve were an increased risk of heart failure, thrombosis and stroke.

Santa Fe, NM One of the biggest problems with having a medical device, such as the St. Jude heart valve implanted is what to do when the implant is recalled. Back in 2000, the St. Jude Silzone mechanical heart valve was recalled due to concerns about serious problems associated with the valves. The recall only affected valves that were on the shelves; patients were not encouraged to have the device removed unless the patient suffered complications.

Washington, DC Although the St. Jude heart valve that contained Silzone was recalled in 2000, studies have been carried out since that time to determine the risks associated with the Silzone mechanical heart. Those studies confirm the defective heart valve poses a risk to patients, although some studies vary on what the risk is.

Toronto, Canada A lawsuit concerning the St. Jude heart valve, recalled in 2000, has been heard in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The lawsuit questioned whether the Silzone mechanical heart valve, made by St. Jude, was rushed to market in an attempt to maximize profits for the device maker. The heart valve was recalled after reports of serious health problems in some patients arose.

Washington, DC When the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Silzone mechanical heart valve manufactured by St. Jude Medical in 1997, the approval took nine months and the FDA would only allow the device on the market with conditions.

Minneapolis, MN It has been the basis for many a night terror and many a movie plot: the ticking time bomb that is either in the throes of being diffused or the attempt to escape from one. The slow motion run as the potential victim tries to distance himself from the pending explosion the audience knows is about to happen, but when? In fact, the foregoing is a metaphor summarizing the lives of individuals implanted with the st jude heart valve.

Newport Beach, CA Despite having been recalled more than 10 years ago, the St. Jude Medical Silzone mechanical heart valve could still cause problems for some prosthetic patients. According to James T. Capretz, attorney in Newport Beach, California, even though the manufacturer of the St. Jude heart valve initially claimed paravalvular leakage of the valves would not occur beyond a few months after implantation, patients have reportedly had problems with their allegedly defective heart valve through recent times.

Dallas, TX Just because the St. Jude Silzone mechanical heart valves were voluntarily recalled, that does not mean that the story about the St. Jude Silzone valves is entirely over. During the Silzone valve recall, which was announced in January 2000, St. Jude recommended that not all patients undergo surgery to remove and replace the valves. Of approximately 36,000 St. Jude mechanical Silzone valves implanted worldwide, around 10,500 valves were implanted in patients in the US. Some are likely still implanted.