Pain pumps are supposed to relieve pain for surgery patients; in reality, they end up causing more pain. The American Journal of Sports Medicine recently released a study about the danger of pain pumps and permanent shoulder problems. If you or a loved one suffered as a result of a pain pump, you may want to speak to a personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of d'Oliveira & Associates.
Pain pump catheters are used to help patients after shoulder surgery. The pump delivers medication to the body through the catheter. The pumps are temporarily implanted in the shoulder joint to help with pain medication; however, the pain pumps have dangerous side effects. The pumps may lead to postarthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis (PAGCL). This is a condition that deteriorates the cartilage of the shoulder. PAGCL is extremely painful and there is no effective treatment for this condition, except shoulder replacement surgery.
According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine study there is a very high correlation between intra-articular pain pump catheter and development of PAGCL. The onset of PAGCL is not immediate. Patients reported initial progress following their shoulder surgery. They appeared to be making successful progress through physical therapy and increased motion in their shoulder. But, soon patients were experiencing, “pain, stiffness, increased pain with motion, and crepitus [popping of joints].” Additional evidence showed the shoulder joint space of all the patients had narrowed. These painful side effects were supported anywhere from 3-12 months following surgery.
Roughly 83% of the patients in the study required additional operations because of PAGCL. All of the patients still had complaints about pain and disability. It is possible some patients will never regain complete mobility in their shoulder. In addition, PAGCL may lead to arthritis in the shoulder. It is likely most PAGCL patients will need orthopedic surgery.
The study recommends avoiding intra-articular pain pump catheters until further investigation can be completed.
If you believe that you or a loved one has suffered PAGSCL because of intra-articular pain pumps, you may want to speak with a personal injury attorney regarding a potential lawsuit.
Please contact the law offices of d'Oliveira & Associates at 1-800-992-6878 or fill out a contact form for a free legal consultation.