Bard Implanted Port Catheters
Pursuing Litigation for Injuries Linked to Bard Implanted Port Catheters
Bard PowerPort and related implanted port catheters are the subject of thousands of federal lawsuits alleging that the device's catheter tubing can crack, fracture, and send fragments into the bloodstream, leading to infections, blood clots, and emergency surgery.
If a Bard implanted port failed you, you may have a legal claim. Cornell & Greene is reviewing cases nationwide.
What is an Implanted Port Catheter?
An implanted port (sometimes called a chest port, power port, or port-a-cath) is a small device placed under the skin, usually near the collarbone, to give patients repeated access to a vein without a new needle stick every time.
It has two parts: a reservoir ("port") that sits just beneath the skin, and a thin catheter tube that runs from the port into a large central vein.
Ports are used mainly for patients who need frequent or long-term intravenous treatment: chemotherapy, IV antibiotics, nutrition support, and blood draws.
Bard Access Systems, a branch of Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), has sold implanted ports under names including PowerPort, PowerPort ClearVUE, PowerPort Duo, BardPort, SlimPort, and X-Port for more than two decades.
Why Bard Ports are Being Sued
The catheter tubing on Bard's implanted ports is made from a polyurethane blended with barium sulfate, a compound added so the device shows up on X-rays.
Lawsuits allege that the concentration and processing of barium sulfate in Bard's catheters caused the material to be structurally weaker than it should have been, leaving microscopic clusters that create weak points in the tubing wall.
Plaintiffs argue that normal use over time (the pressure of injections, blood flow, and everyday movement of the body) causes those weak points to crack, degrade, and eventually break.
When a piece of the catheter separates, it can travel through the bloodstream toward the heart or lungs. Court filings and internal testimony have made the durability of this material, and what Bard knew about it, a central issue across the litigation.
Plaintiffs further allege that Bard marketed its ports as safe for high-pressure "power injection" procedures without adequately warning patients and physicians of the fracture, infection, and migration risks tied to the design.
Complications Linked to Bard Implanted Ports
These are the injuries most commonly cited in Bard PowerPort lawsuits. If any of these happened to you or a loved one after receiving a Bard port, it's worth having your case reviewed.
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Catheter fracture & migration
The catheter tube cracks or breaks, and a fragment travels through the bloodstream. Fragments have been reported to lodge in the heart or pulmonary artery.
Cardiac arrhythmia or perforation
Pulmonary embolism
Emergency retrieval procedure or open surgery
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Bloodstream infection & sepsis
Bacteria can colonize a degraded or cracked catheter surface, leading to infection at the port site or in the bloodstream itself.
Fever, chills, redness or swelling at the site
Hospitalization for IV antibiotics
Sepsis or septic shock in severe cases
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Blood clots (thrombosis)
Clots can form around the catheter tip or along its length, raising the risk of blockage or embolism.
Swelling in the arm, neck, or chest
Pain or tightness near the port
Shortness of breath if a clot travels to the lungs
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Migration & vessel damage
The port or catheter shifts out of its intended position, which can injure a vein or nearby organ and disrupt treatment.
Persistent pain unrelated to a specific event
Device visibly out of place under the skin
Need for early, unplanned removal surgery
Eligibility and Compensation
You may be eligible if you or a loved one:
Had a Bard implanted port catheter placed, including PowerPort, PowerPort ClearVUE, PowerPort Duo, BardPort, SlimPort, or X-Port devices
Experienced a catheter fracture, migration, or fragment that required surgical retrieval
Developed a serious bloodstream infection or sepsis linked to the device
Suffered a blood clot, embolism, or vessel injury connected to the port
Lost a loved one after complications from a Bard implanted port
What can you recover?
Every case is different, and no outcome or dollar amount can be promised. Depending on the facts of your case, compensation in a Bard implanted port lawsuit may account for past and future medical costs, lost income during recovery, pain and suffering, and, in wrongful death cases, damages available to surviving family members.
Contact Us Today
Cornell & Greene, PLLC represents patients and families nationwide in medical device litigation, including leadership roles in several active MDLs. Consultations are free, confidential, and come with no obligation.
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