In modern medicine today, researchers can engineer medical devices that help improve the quality of life for those with chronic medical conditions like heart issues and cardiovascular diseases. However, when medical device manufacturers put profit before the health and safety of the public, patients end up paying the price. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently warned patients and healthcare providers about Abbott Trifecta valves, advising the public that these medical devices carry a significant risk of early structural valve deterioration.
At Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers, our Abbott trifecta valve attorneys want to help you recover the compensation you deserve and hold the careless manufacturer accountable for their actions. You and your doctor put your trust in the company that manufactures the Abbott Trifecta valve products. They breached your trust. Now, you deserve the opportunity to recover the money you need for your financial losses.
If you had an issue with an Abbott Trifecta valve, we invite you to take this short questionnaire. You deserve fair compensation for your injuries and financial losses. Let our legal team help.
Issues with Abbott Trifecta Valves
The Abbott Trifecta family of heart valves are replacement devices for diseased, damaged, or malfunctioning heart valves. The Abbott Trifecta valve was made specifically for aortic valve replacement.
The aorta starts in the lower-left chamber of the heart and passes through the chest and abdominal cavities before ending in the pelvis. The aorta has a unique candy-cane shape and is more than one foot long and an inch in diameter at its widest point and nearly two centimeters at its smallest. It is a complex structure that serves as the central vessel in the body, where oxygen-rich blood travels from the heart to the rest of the body. The aortic valve controls blood flow from the heart’s left ventricle into the aorta.
Physical trauma, high blood pressure, and chronic cardiovascular illnesses can damage the aortic valve, causing significant and potentially life-threatening complications. One of the options available to patients for correcting issues with damaged or diseased aortic valves is to replace the valve with a medical device that functions like a healthy, working aortic valve.
The Trifecta family of valves was made from bovine tissue. Specifically, the valves are made from the membrane that surrounds a cow’s heart. Its unique design was supposed to improve blood flow and turbulence and reduce the risk of significant blood clots and other medical complications.
Abbott is a medical device company responsible for designing and creating the heart valves that are the subject of this recall and other products that help patients “live their best lives.” Unfortunately, in 2023, the company announced it would no longer manufacture the Trifecta valve used in valve replacement surgery after reports emerged that there were early structural valve deterioration (SVD) risks. Some reports suggest the risk of SVD could occur within five years or less.
FDA Actions Against Abbott Trifecta Valves
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned patients and healthcare providers about the potential risks of SVD and Abbott Trifecta valves. The administration encourages healthcare providers and patients to report issues to the FDA to help build a more extensive database of information about the risks associated with these medical devices.
The FDA lists the affected Abbott Trifecta valves as:
- The Trifecta
- The Trifecta GT
The first iteration of the Trifecta valve was released in 2011 and is no longer marketed in the U.S. The Trifecta GT was approved for patient use in 2016. While there are reports of issues with valves, and the manufacturer announced they would no longer make the Trifecta model, the FDA did not issue an official recall.
Complications from Abbott Trifecta Valves
Reports show that the Trifecta valves may suffer from early structural valve deterioration, necessitating additional medical intervention sooner than anticipated. Reports also indicate that some patients needed a transcatheter valve-in-valve intervention to address the issues with their Trifecta valve.
There are also indications that the faulty valves contributed to several patients’ injuries, malfunctions, and even deaths.
Compensation in Abbott Trifecta Valve Lawsuits
If you have suffered complications after receiving an Abbott Trifecta valve implant, you must contact an experienced defective medical device attorney for help recovering the compensation you deserve. At Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers, we can calculate the value of your financial losses and fight to pursue the money you deserve. The financial compensation you may be entitled to pursue can include the following:
Medical Expenses
Lost Wages
Loss of Earning Capacity
Pain and Suffering
A skilled Trifecta valve lawyer can evaluate your situation, outline your options for recovering compensation, and estimate the fair value of your case. We have experience helping clients recover verdicts and settlements for defective medical devices and want to help you achieve justice for the harm that was done to you.
What Can a Defective Medical Device Attorney Do for You?
Defective medical devices and mass tort lawsuits can be highly complicated. To pursue the justice and compensation you deserve, you need the help of an experienced and dedicated attorney. At Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers, our legal team commits itself to providing comprehensive legal representation to individuals injured by medical devices and the careless actions of big businesses. We invite you to take our short questionnaire to help determine if you have a case and learn more about your situation.
Next, our aggressive legal team can:
Help you understand your legal rights
Outline your options for pursuing compensation
Investigate your situation
Collect and preserve necessary evidence
Negotiate with insurance providers
File a lawsuit when necessary
Provide legal guidance and emotional support
A faulty medical device can change your life, requiring additional and expensive medical intervention while causing pain and emotional distress. You can fight medical device companies and show them patient health and safety should always come before profits with the help of a seasoned attorney.
Contact an Attorney Today for Help
When a medical device fails or causes significant injuries or complications, you need an attorney you can trust. Turn to the team at Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers for legal advice and moral support. We aren’t afraid to go head-to-head with medical device companies to hold them accountable for their careless, harmful actions.
Take our questionnaire and contact our office to arrange a free case evaluation.