The Stockert 3T Heater Cooler Device is a medical device that regulates the temperature of a patient’s blood and internal organs during open-heart surgery or cardiac bypass, heart valve replacement surgery and other high-risk surgeries involving the heart and lungs.

The Stockert 3T Heater Cooler Device is one of many heater cooler devices that are used in thousands of surgeries each year, according to Consumer Reports.

It is a common, yet rarely publicly known piece of medical equipment that can be vital to the success of these invasive procedures.

Resembling portable, free-standing air-conditioning units on wheels, the Stockert 3T Heater Cooler Device and other brands contain a water tank. The water tank generally has non-sterile water put in it, which the machine heats to a predetermined temperature.

The fact that the water in it is not put through a sterilization process was not thought to be a problem. The water was not designed to come into contact with the patient.

The Stockert 3T Heater Cooler Device May Vaporize Dangerous Bacteria

According to Consumer Reports, it was found that water bacteria can slowly leak into other parts of the machine and proliferate there.

If the bacterial load becomes significant enough and gets as far as the cooling fan for the heater cooler device itself, water vaporization can spray it through the air in the operating room.

This is especially dangerous for the patient who is lying there, supposedly in a sterile field, with his chest wide open.

A potentially life-threatening infection with non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM), a microbe commonly found in soil and water, has been linked back to the Stockert 3T Heater Cooler device and other heater cooler units.

If a person had a normal, non-compromised immune system, infection with NTM probably would not even occur. It is generally considered harmless to humans. The problem lies with the weakened system of the average open-heart patient.

Bacteria Found at German Manufacturing Plant

There have not been any reported infections with NTM prior to 2011. In the fall of 2014, inspections of the manufacturing plant of the Stockert 3T Heater Cooler device in Germany identified NTM bacterial contamination. Just under a year later, the plant was retested and found clear of any contamination.

Although the facility appears to be clear of bacteria now, an NTM infection can take a while to show up in affected patients. Because of continued problems with bacterial vaporization in general with heater cooler units, many surgical patients might develop symptoms months to years after their respective surgeries. Symptoms of possible NTM infection include:

• Unexplained fever
• Night sweats
• Muscle aches
• Fatigue
• Symptoms of infection at incision site such as oozing pus or excessive redness.

If you feel you or a loved one might have contracted an infection during cardiac or any open-chest surgery involving the heart and lungs, be sure to contact your physician.

Do not hesitate upon diagnosis and treatment, to consult with one of our product liability lawyers for a consultation. You may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering.