A Toronto hospital is now notifying former patients who went through surgery about an open-heart surgery infection that began in the facility. Although the risk of infection following surgery is rare, it can be associated with high risks. Since it can take time to develop, patients might not even know their infection and surgery are related.

A device that was used for heart surgery between December 2013 and 2016 may have caused an open heart surgery infection, and patients must be mindful of whether or not they developed an infection related to the use of this device.

Those individuals who are harmed because of an open heart surgery infection tied to a medical device, such as a heater-cooler device, used during the surgical process may be eligible to participate in a lawsuit or investigation.

The SickKids Hospital in Toronto is advising those former heart surgery patients about one case of open heart surgery infection that was associated with a heater-cooler unit. Those heater cooler units were used by the SickKids Hospital beginning in December 2013. Years later, recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Health Canada led the hospital to update their implementation procedures in 2016.

Open Heart Surgery Infections

Although the CDC currently estimates that the risk of an open heart surgery infection associated with heater-cooler device use is less than 1 percent, the consequences may be severe and can be catastrophic if the infection is not captured by a medical professional sooner rather than later.

The non-tuberculous open heart surgery infection is known as Mycobacterium chimaera and has been linked directly to the Stockert 3T device that is used to cool and heat the blood during open heart surgery. Any families of children who could have possibly been exposed to the bacteria during the surgery should be aware of the symptoms to watch for.

A doctor should be notified immediately if signs of an open heart surgery infection are present. These can include failure to thrive in infants, unexplained fever, sudden and unexpected weight loss, night sweats and chest pains.

M. chimaera is typically found in soil and water and will not usually cause disease in humans. It can take several months or years for an open heart surgery infection to manifest, meaning that many patients may not even realize that the infection is directly related to the use of this heater cooler device during surgery.

Although the infection cannot be passed from person to person and can be treated with antibiotics, symptoms should be reported to a medical professional as soon as possible to decrease a patient’s risks of suffering serious side effects and other injuries. Anyone who believes that they may have developed an open heart surgery infection related to the use of a heater-cooler device should consult first with their physician and also review their medical records from the surgery.

The heater cooler device was used for many years before the risk of infection and other dangerous side effects were recognized by the medical community. Given the long period of time it can take before the infection manifests, anyone who has experienced sudden side effects or symptoms of M. chimaera exposure could benefit from visiting their doctor.