Notifications are being sent to all patients who received orthopedic or spine surgery at Porter Hospital between July 21, 2016, & Feb 20, 2018. Porter Adventist Hospital is suspected to have put many lives at risk by using contaminated equipment during certain surgical procedures. This involves improper sterilization of surgical instruments which can be responsible for spreading HIV, Hepatitis B & Hepatitis C. Anyone who underwent orthopedic or spine surgery here between July 21, 2016, & Feb 20 of this year may have been affected. Although the hospital has not disclosed the number of patients which could have been exposed due to its negligence, this is believed to have been a wide-spread issue that has impacted thousands of patients.

What did the Hospital say?

As reported by Larry Wolk, the executive director & chief medical officer for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, “The process for cleaning surgical instruments following orthopedic and spine surgeries was found to be inadequate, which may have compromised the sterilization of instruments”. However, letters have been sent out to individuals suspected of undergoing surgical procedures with contaminated equipment. The letters sent by Porter include a list of FAQ’s and note that patients may have been exposed to HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. A blood test can confirm if you have contracted any of these illnesses.

What to do if you received a letter?

If you received a letter from Porter stating that you may have been exposed to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or even HIV, it is important that you contact an experienced attorney immediately. Even if you did not actually contract any of these diseases, you may still have claims available to you. It is vital that you contact an attorney immediately because these claims are moving extremely quickly, and any delay could result in you not receiving the compensation that you deserve.