Filing a PAGCL Legal Claim
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Date of Surgery
Type of Surgery
Was Pain Pump used, either before or after Surgery
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Have you been diagnosed with or have symptoms of PAGCL?
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MEDICAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS IGNORED RISK FOR PAGCL
If you have had arthroscopic shoulder surgery, chances are good that your doctor implanted a shoulder pain pump during the surgery to deliver pain relief in the following 2-3 days. If you had open surgery to the shoulder joint, you may also have had a shoulder pain pump.
And if you’ve had a shoulder pain pump, you are at high risk for developing a painful, debilitating, permanent shoulder condition known as PAGCL (which stands for Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral—or shoulder joint— chondrolysis).
Most cases of PAGCL develop 3-12 months following a Bankart procedure, a surgery to repair chronic dislocation of the shoulder joint and shoulder instability.
The manufacturers of shoulder pain pumps apparently did little or nothing to halt the medical community’s continued reliance on the devices, even after being contacted and advised of the risk shoulder pain pumps caused to patients.
Dr. Charles Beck, author of the 2007 study cited in the American Journal of Sports Medicine which links shoulder pain pumps and PAGCL, stated:
"These devices (shoulder pain pumps) have been used on thousands of patients nationwide; and based on our findings, hundreds appear to be at risk for this complication which results in severe pain, debilitating stiffness and eventual joint replacement surgery for many of those affected.
"We sent the results of our study to the manufacturers more than two years ago, but their response has so far been minimal to non-existent. It is time to get the word out and stop these devices from ruining any more lives."
Shoulder pain pumps are made by several companies, including Stryker Corporation, I-Flow Inc., DJO Inc., and BREG Inc. Lawsuits against these companies are being filed, and individuals with negative experiences with shoulder pain pumps are advised to contact a pain pump lawyer.
The defect in the shoulder pain pumps is most often seen in the larger, high-flow pain pumps, which causes too much medication to flow into the shoulder area. This causes irreversible damage to the cartilage of the shoulder joint, resulting in permanent loss of cartilage. These pumps are often used following closed (or Arthroscopic) surgery.
Arthroscopic surgery is often used over open surgery to perform a Bankart procedure (also known as a Broca-Perthes-Bankart procedure) which repairs chronic dislocation of the shoulder joint and shoulder instability.
Open surgery is more traumatic to the shoulder joint area, as the deltoid muscle usually needs to be cut and reattached. Both open surgery and closed surgery may involve use of a shoulder pain pump.
Arthroscopic surgery involves inserting a microscopic camera the size of a pen into the area, which photographs the injured area. These images are projected onto a screen, and small instruments are also inserted in small incisions made along the shoulder joint.