Double Outlet of the Right Ventricle (DORV) is a congenital (present at birth) defect that occurs when both great arteries connect to the right ventricle. Arteries are the large blood vessels that are connected to the heart; normally, one artery brings low-oxygen blood from the heart to the lungs to be re-oxygenated and one carries high-oxygen blood to the body to feed the tissues. DORV is usually found with a ventricular septal defect (a hole in the wall between the ventricle chambers), which allows some oxygen-rich blood to flow into the right chamber and, thus, reach the body. However, the body still may not get enough oxygen through the mixture, and the heart has to work harder to try to supply the body with more high-oxygen blood.
Cause
Anti-depressants: A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that babies exposed to certain anti-depressants before birth face more than a doubled risk of conotruncal heart defects, such as DORV. The anti-depressants linked to these heart defects may include:
Effexor, a similar anti-depressant, is also being researched for possible link to an increased risk of double outlet of the right ventricle.
Treatment
Double Outlet of the Right Ventricle must be treated with surgery. The type and quantity of operations depends on what kind of DORV it is, the severity, if there are other problems in the heart and the baby’s overall health.
Your Baby’s Rights
If your baby was born with DORV that may have been caused by exposure to anti-depressants before birth, your family deserves financial compensation. Although no amount of money will change what happened to your baby, compensation will help offset the current and future medical costs, as well as provide for the pain and suffering you and your baby have experienced. Filing a claim will also teach the manufacturers of unsafe anti-depressants that it is unacceptable to not warn parents of the risks associated with these drugs, including serious congenital heart defects. Your suit may even prevent other families from suffering as yours has, by forcing the pharmaceutical company to change their drug’s label to warn parents of the potential risks.
Contact Us
You may be eligible for compensation to ease the financial burdens associated with your baby’s injury. Contact us today to set up a free consultation during which we will listen to your story, answer any questions you may have and discuss your legal rights and options. If you choose us to represent you, we will work with you on a contingency fee basis; this means you pay nothing until we have secured compensation for you, either through a jury verdict or settlement.