http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?21823

THE FULL ARTICLE will appear on Sunday, February 25

Friday, February 23, 2001

COMING SUNDAY

Deadly sutures in a hospital near you?

Geoff Metcalf interviews class-action attorney Wendy York

Attorney Wendy York may become known as the next Erin Brockovich. York is spearheading a legal effort against Ethicon, Inc., the nation’s leading suture manufacturer, which distributed at least 3.6 million packages of contaminated sutures to the public through medical supply distributors, hospitals and physicians several years ago.

Although a recall was issued, many of the contaminated sutures had been used in surgeries and some caused severe postoperative infections. According to the FDA, only 25 percent of the recalled sutures were recovered, and some may still be on hospital shelves today.

Geoff Metcalf recently interviewed York about her efforts on behalf of those who feel they were victimized by Ethicon and its dirty sutures.

York explains the serious complications that can occur from the use of contaminated sutures.

“[The resultant infections] are so raging,” York says. “I spoke to a gentleman who four days after heart surgery had an abscess the size of a basketball on his chest where the surgery was, so they actually had to drain it surgically following his surgery. They weren’t dealing with his cardio issues anymore; they were dealing with his infection.”

York continues, “These infections are not something where you just have a little wound infection where you have pus. These are serious infections. One of the bugs is actually a cousin of tuberculosis. These infections can last anywhere from six months on, indefinitely, until you get a specialist to treat the infection.”

According to York, the contaminated sutures weren’t limited to civilian hospitals.

“A large portion of these sutures were sold to VA hospitals and to the military,” she says. “So, if you were serving in the Gulf War and you were wounded, most likely vicryl sutures, these Ethicon sutures, were used. So here you are in a foreign country with maybe not the same sterile environment we have in our U.S. hospitals. You add contaminated sutures, and you’ve got our own military, serving for our country, suffering raging infections because this company has been irresponsible.”

Read Geoff Metcalf’s full interview in Sunday’s WorldNetDaily to find out more about York’s class-action lawsuit against a major medical manufacturer.

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