Study Links Heart Device Infections to Factory Contamination

The source of deadly infections tied to open-heart surgery devices is likely the factory where they are manufactured, according to a new analysis published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

A study of heater-cooler devices manufactured by LivaNova at its Munich facility found they were likely contaminated during production. The research sheds light on the more than 100 severe cardiac surgery infections that have occurred since 2013.

LiveNova executives said the study did not produce enough data to draw conclusions, and that it expresses a level of certainty that is not warranted.