University of Kansas Hospital faces over 30 lawsuits in Wyandotte County alleging improper sterilization of LivaNova 3T heater-cooler units (HCUs) during open-heart surgeries caused slow-growing Mycobacterium chimaera infections in at least 25 patients, with 11 deaths reported.
Key Cases
Vietnam veteran Darrell Schroll contracted the infection post-2019 surgery, spreading to his eyes, brain, heart, lungs, LVAD, and liver, leaving him emaciated before his decline; his daughter Kristy sues for malpractice and failure to warn or treat. Similarly, Ron Wood died in 2021 after a 2019 aortic valve procedure, suffering extreme weight loss and fatigue—his widow Thelma seeks $20 million, decrying avoidable negligence.
…