The James Esparza Law Firm
Shoulder Pain Pump Attorney

Please Note: The pharmaceutical liability attorneys at the James Esparaza law firm have represented countless clients in the Utah area who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, and we can help you, too. However, at this time, we are only accepting pharmaceutical liability cases for the following drugs: Levaquin, Yaz and Yasmin, and Transvaginal Mesh Patches. The link here indicates the drug cases we are no longer accepting so that we may focus our time and resources on victims who have been harmed by Levaquin, Yaz/Yasmin and the Transvaginal patches.

Pain management pumps are frequently used with patients who have just undergone arthroscopic shoulder surgery to help reduce their post-operative pain. Many surgeons prefer this option over narcotics, since pain pumps shorten recovery time after surgery.

However, doctors have recently linked the use of shoulder pain pumps to the development of a degenerative disease called Post-Arthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis (PAGCL). This condition leads to permanent, chronic shoulder pain in its victims.

What is Post-Arthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondorlysis?

PAGCL causes your shoulder cartilage to deteriorate after arthroscopic surgery. Patients suffering from this condition experience severe pain and permanent impairment of shoulder functioning. Cartilage does not regenerate when damaged. Therefore, if cartilage damage is serious, shoulder replacement surgery will be required to treat PAGCL.

This condition generally develops within 3-12 months of arthroscopic surgery. Symptoms include:

• Shoulder stiffness
• Shoulder pain (both when in motion and at rest)
• Shoulder clicking, grinding, and popping
• Shoulder weakness
• Decreased range of motion in shoulder
• Narrowing joint space, visible on an x-ray

Link between Shoulder Pain Pumps and PAGCL

Researchers have discovered a link between the use of shoulder pain pumps after arthroscopic surgery and the development of PAGCL. Frequently, these devices are distributing too much medicine to your shoulder, resulting in the cartilage deterioration found in PAGCL victims. Pain pumps deliver medication to the surgically repaired area by a catheter which gets inserted into your shoulder joint.

Pain pumps using bupivacaine with epinephrine are particularly dangerous to use, and should be avoided at all cost. The most commonly used devices associated with the development of PAGCL include:

• Stryker®
• Stryker® PainPump 1®
• Stryker® PainPump 2®
• PainPump® Blockaid®
• I-Flow®
• On-Q® Painbuster®
• Donjoy®
• Donjoy® Pain Control Device
• Accufuser® Plus Pain Pump

Pain Pump Attorneys

Many product liability lawsuits have already been filed against the companies who manufacture these pain pumps, claiming that the pharmaceutical companies did not adequately warn doctors of the risks involved in using their pain pumps.

If you have developed PAGCL from using a pain pump following shoulder surgery, you should consult with an experienced pharmaceutical injury attorney at once. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your damages.

The law offices of James Esparza can help provide you with expert representation for your pain pump claim. Please contact one of our product liability lawyers in the Salt Lake City area today to schedule a consultation.