A Bair Hugger lawsuit has been filed by a Mississippi woman who alleges that following a surgery that used the forced air warming blanket, she developed a severe knee infection.

Plaintiff Tracy C. claims that 3M Company and subsidiary Arizant Healthcare manufacture a medical device, the Bair Hugger, that is defective and unreasonably dangerous to patients during hip and knee implant surgeries.

Tracy explains in the 3M lawsuit that during her surgery to replace her knee in August 2011, the Bair Hugger forced air warming blanket was used to keep her body temperature regulated. She claims that as a result of its use, she acquired an infection in her surgery site from the contaminants introduced by the medical device into her surgical wound.

Shortly after her knee replacement, Tracy claims that she began experiencing pain and discomfort at the surgical site. As it turned out, Tracy ended up having a deep joint infection and had to undergo a second surgery just a month later. In addition to removing the implant, Tracy states she also had to have an antibiotic spacer placed surgically to help deal with the infection that developed.

According to the Bair Hugger lawsuit, Tracy had months of IV antibiotic treatment after the antibiotic spacer was placed and had another surgery to implant another artificial knee.

Bair Hugger Warming System Overview

The Bair Hugger is a warming blanket used during surgical procedures designed to keep patients’ body temperatures up during surgery. The blanket is attached to a hose where a heater warms and blows the warm air onto the patient.

When the body is warmer, the risk of bleeding is reduced and the outcomes of surgery are generally more favorable.

Bair Huggers and the Safety Controversy

While the Bair Hugger may prove helpful to some patients, some are concerned that it may have the potential to cause devastating side effects. The main concern with the device that plaintiffs allege is that the design of the device appears to be defective, causing avoidable risks during surgery.

As the Bair Hugger warms the air and forces it under the blanket, hot air escapes below the blanket and mixes with the cooler downward air currents in the operating room. The warmed air gets pushed to the floor by the downward air current and allegedly picks up bacteria from the operating room floor.

The warmed air carrying the bacteria rises and the bacteria can allegedly drop, causing them to be deposited directly onto the open surgical site during the operation. With the air intake from the heater/blower, bacteria can also allegedly be pulled into the heater unit and be blown directly onto the patient via the attached hose.

3M was reportedly made aware of the issues surround the Bair Hugger safety concerns back in 2009, but no warning labels or other communications outlining the potential risk of the device have been shared with consumers or physicians.

Bair Hugger Lawsuit Information

If you or a loved one suffered a hip replacement infection, knee replacement infection or other hospital infections involving the use of a Bair Hugger forced air warming device, you may be entitled to legal compensation.

A free, confidential case review from one of our lawyers can assist you in understanding your legal options.

The Bair Hugger Lawsuit is Case No. 0:15-cv-03777-ADM-SER in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.