Going into surgery is a scary and stressful experience for patients and their families. We trust that the tools and medications used in our treatment will make us healthier. Defective products used in medical procedures can, unfortunately, lead to injury or death. Tragically, three people have recently died after Covidien stapling heads were used during their surgical procedures. New Jersey citizens undergoing surgery must be aware of this unsafe tool.

Covidien Duet TRS surgical staplers have been used in a variety of surgical procedures. However, medical professionals are now warning that they are potentially life-threatening if used in thoracic procedures, which are among their approved uses.

After three people died and 13 others experienced injury as a result of this product being used on their bodies, the company has stopped further shipments of their faulty medical device.

The company claims that the product can malfunction when it's not properly used and can lead to damage to body parts unrelated to the surgical procedure. In response to these tragedies, Covidien plans to include instructions for "proper use" when the devices are allowed to be shipped again. Over 500,000 of these devices are being used across the globe.

Food and Drug Administration officials are reportedly working with the company to make sure their products are safe.

We place an enormous amount of faith in the instruments surgeons use to make us healthier. The sad reality is that sometimes those medical products fail and result in an unexpected fatality. As patients and consumers we have to be mindful of the products we come in contact with, but we also have the right to believe that they will perform in the way they are intended. Without the ability to trust a product's safety, we expose ourselves to significant danger.

Source: Boston Business Journal, "Deaths prompt Covidien to hold surgical stapler inventory," Rodney H. Brown, Jan. 17, 2012