Product Liability · Bard PowerPort
Bard PowerPort
Bard PowerPort — device and claim background
The Bard PowerPort is an implanted vascular access device used to deliver chemotherapy, IV fluids, and other treatments. Patients across the country have reported that the catheter portion fractured, migrated, or embolized inside the body — leading to blood clots, infection, cardiac injury, and additional surgery. An individual review can assess the device records and reported injury.
Background
What this litigation is about.
Bard PowerPort devices are manufactured by Bard Access Systems, a subsidiary of Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD). The catheter is made from a polymer called ChronoFlex, blended with barium sulfate so it shows up on X-rays.
Plaintiffs allege that the specific concentration and processing of barium sulfate in the ChronoFlex compound made the catheter more prone to cracking, fissuring, and fracture over time. When the catheter separates or migrates, pieces can travel through the vascular system to the heart or lungs, causing serious — sometimes life-threatening — injury.
On August 8, 2023, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated federal PowerPort cases in the District of Arizona under Judge David G. Campbell as MDL 3081. Current procedural status should be checked against the court docket.
Reported injuries
Reported concerns and potential losses.
Catheter fracture
The tubing cracks, splits, or breaks off inside the body.
Catheter migration
A fragment travels through the bloodstream to the heart, lungs, or elsewhere.
Thrombosis & embolism
Blood clots that can restrict circulation or move to critical organs.
Bloodstream infection
Sepsis or persistent infections requiring surgical removal of the port.
Cardiac injury
Arrhythmia, perforation, tamponade, or damage to heart tissue and valves.
Emergency surgery
Additional procedures to remove fragments, drain effusions, or replace the device.
Individual review
Facts that may be relevant.
You were implanted with a Bard PowerPort (or similar Bard implanted port) — often during cancer or long-term IV treatment.
You experienced fracture, migration, infection, thrombosis, or a cardiac complication tied to the device.
Imaging, operative reports, or a physician has connected the injury to the port.
The injury required additional treatment, hospitalization, or surgical removal.
Connect the device to the treatment timeline
A port complication alone does not establish a product defect. Records can help distinguish the device model, the reported problem, and other possible causes.
- Request the implant sticker or device identification card, including model and lot information.
- Keep imaging reports from before and after the complication and any culture results or discharge summaries.
- Record when the port was accessed, when symptoms began, and when a clinician first identified a device problem.
- If a device was removed, ask the treating facility about its preservation policy; do not handle medical waste yourself.
Key events
A timeline of what has happened so far.
2000s–present
Bard PowerPort devices are widely implanted for chemotherapy and long-term IV access.
2020–2022
Individual product-liability lawsuits begin to accumulate in federal courts across the country.
Aug 8, 2023
JPML issues transfer order creating MDL 3081 in the District of Arizona.
Device identification and treatment records can help inform an individual review.
Frequently asked
Questions answered plainly.
This page is for general information only, is not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Case statuses, MDL orders, and settlement terms change; call our office for a current review of your specific situation.
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