A Philadelphia man is suing a hospital and a device-making company after he suffered a stroke from bacteria caused by an aortic valve that was placed in him.
Kenneth Piechowski underwent surgery at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in December 2014 to replace a faulty aortic valve. The following May he suffered a stroke which he claims was caused by growing bacteria he had picked up from the valve.
Piechowski isn’t the first patient to report an infection from the valve. According to a study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is reason to believe that the device, manufactured by the Sorin Group, has caused the infections.
To read more about the lawsuit and the infection associated with the aortic valve, follow the link below.
Senior Writer
As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Katherine primarily focuses on producing news stories, Q&As and features for Cardiovascular Business. She reports on several facets of the cardiology industry, including emerging technology, new clinical trials and findings, and quality initiatives among providers. She is based out of TriMed's Chicago office and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Modern Healthcare, Crain's Chicago Business and The Detroit News. She joined TriMed in 2016.