LivaNova Trial: Family Seeks Justice for Contaminated Heater-Cooler Device

0:00It's April 14. You're listening to Kansas News today, AI-powered local news. A trial just kicked off Monday in Wyandotte County District Court over a family's claim that a contaminated heater cooler device during open heart. Surgery at the University of Kansas Hospital caused a deadly infection. The widow and son of Stephen Nolte sued the hospital and device maker, Liva Nova, back in 2021, for wrongful death and negligence. The hospital settled confidentially, got dismissed with prejudice, so that chapter's closed for good. Liva Nova's digging in, saying they're defending their product hard, no settlement from them. This hits home for folks like Stephen Nolte, a Navy vet and electrician from Raytown. He had an ordeic bowel surgery, March 6, 2019, using a device contaminated with Michael Bacterium Chimera, Bacteria, since it was installed June 28, 2017. He passed July 8, 2020. It's part of over 30 lawsuits, from 25 patients who got hit with the same infection during

1:03heart surgeries. One more's in federal court now, and these devices spread bacteria through the air and operating rooms, turning routine ops into nightmares, trial roles, on against Liva Nova.