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Trasylol & Stroke

Trasylol, which was introduced in 1993 by pharmaceutical giant Bayer Corporation, is a medication injected during heart surgery to reduce blood loss. For many years, Trasylol was used in a quarter of the one million heart bypass operations performed in the U.S. each year. In 2007, however, Bayer stopped producing Trasylol after it was linked to several life-threatening side effects, including strokes.

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The halt in Trasylol production occurred in part because a 2006 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that Trasylol increases the risk of several post operative side effects, including stroke. Although Trasylol was found to increase the risk of certain side effects, such as kidney failure and heart attack, by around 50%, the study revealed that heart surgery patients given Trasylol were 182% more likely to have strokes than heart surgery patients not given Trasylol.

Bayer Corp. reluctantly released its own study in 2006 which also suggested that Trasylol increases patients’ risk of suffering strokes. In addition to an increased risk of stroke, the Bayer study suggested that Trasylol increases patients’ risk of heart attack and anaphylactic shock (brought on by allergy).

How Trasylol Causes Strokes

Most strokes are ischemic strokes, which occur when a blood vessel is blocked and stops blood flow to the brain. Trasylol can lead to increased clotting, which in turn can lead to hypotension (low blood pressure) or thrombosis (a blocked blood vessel), either of which can mean a Trasylol stroke. If you have had any loss of physical or mental function following surgery where you were given Trasylol, you may have had a stroke.

Symptoms of Trasylol Stroke

Symptoms of Trasylol stroke may include sudden:

• numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side)
• confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
• vision loss
• trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• severe headaches with no known cause

Trasylol Stroke Attorneys

If you or a family member received Trasylol during heart surgery and suffered a stroke, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact our experienced Trasylol attorneys today for a free and confidential case review.