The Bair Hugger Warming System has been linked to adverse health complications, including deep joint infections, when used during hip and knee replacement surgery. The infections have prompted a number of Bair Hugger lawsuits against the device’s manufacturer, 3M.

One such Bair Hugger lawsuit has been filed by an Ohio woman, who alleges the Bair Hugger surgical warming blanket caused her open surgical wound to be exposed to contaminants during knee surgery.

Plaintiff Carmen P. filed the Bair Hugger lawsuit claiming she developed severe and permanent injuries after a right knee replacement surgery in 2007. Carmen was forced to undergo treatment with IV antibiotics for four months, and needed a second surgery as a result of the infection.

Carmen experienced another infection in her right knee, but allegedly due to the multiple Bair Hugger infections, she was no longer a candidate for total knee replacement and had to undergo a fusion in April 2009.

Carmen continued to experience persistent pain and numbness and finally, in July 2010, underwent yet another surgery to clean out the infection.

During this third surgery, her physicians attempted to implant an antibiotic rod in her leg but because of the fusion, the implantation was unsuccessful, according to the Bair Hugger lawsuit.

Due to the infection allegedly caused by the Bair Hugger forced air warming system, Carmen suffers from impaired mobility and has difficulty walking.

Carmen’s Bair Hugger Lawsuit is Case No. 0:15-cv-03736, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

What is the Bair Hugger Warming System?

A Bair Hugger is a medical device used to warm patients before, during and after surgery. When patients undergo surgery, their body temperatures drop because of anesthesia.

The Bair Hugger warming device regulates the patient’s body temperature by blowing warm air through a hose into the Bair Hugger blanket, keeping the patient warm.

The blanket was developed two decades ago by Dr. Scott Augustine, a Minnesota anesthesiologist. Millions of surgery patients have been kept warm by the Bair Hugger.

Dr. Augustine now believes the Bair Hugger is causing infections, instead of preventing them, especially in patients receiving implant devices like artificial joints.

The Bair Hugger was originally manufactured by Augustine’s former company Arizant. 3M purchased Arizant in 2010.

Bair Hugger Infection Risks

The most serious potential side effects allegedly associated with use of a Bair Hugger warming blanket are deep joint infections, especially in the hip and knee during replacement surgeries. Potential treatments for these infections include a combination of surgical procedures and antibiotic therapy.

In severe cases, amputation, joint fusion, or removal and a two-stage revision surgery may be necessary. Patients who are not candidates for a second surgery are usually treated with long-term antibiotic suppression.

Bair Hugger Lawsuits

As the number of hip and knee infection lawsuits filed against 3M continue to increase, plaintiffs have filed a motion with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to have the cases centralized in a single jurisdiction for pretrial handling.

In a motion to transfer filed on Aug. 21, plaintiffs stated that given the similarities between the cases, they should be transferred to a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) in the District of Minnesota.

An MDL would help to reduce duplicative discovery, avoid conflicting rulings by different judges, and serve the convenience of all parties involved in the litigation.

If you or a loved one had surgery that used a Bair Hugger blanket and developed a bacterial infection or other injury, you could be eligible for compensation.