Synthes Sued in a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Synthes Inc. has been sued in a medical malpractice lawsuit by the families of two elderly patients who died after a spinal procedure that used the company’s bone cement that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had not approved its usage for.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ryoichi Kikuchi and Barbara Marcelino were both 83-years-old when they received injections of bone cement into their spines by surgeons at the John Muir Medical Center in Northern California. They both died after their blood pressure plummeted and doctors were unable to revive them.

The medical malpractice lawsuit claims that Synthes promoted the bone cement and trained the hospital’s medical staff to use it, despite the fact that it was not approved by the FDA for the spinal procedure they used it for. The families of the deceased allege that the doctors involved committed elder abuse and wrongful death.

Four executives from Synthes - Thomas Higgins, John Walsh, Michael Huggins, and Richard Bohner - pled guilty to one misdemeanor count each for their part in the incident. They were subsequently sent to prison.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical malpractice, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if a medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help you and represent your case.

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