Lawsuits against AngioDynamics and its subsidiary Navilyst Medical allege that the catheters on their implanted ports, including SmartPort, Vortex, Xcela, and BioFlo ports, can degrade and fracture, migrate, and cause infections and blood clots. Federal cases are consolidated in MDL No. 3125 in San Diego, where 450 cases were pending as of November 2, 2026. The court is narrowing a pool of bellwether cases, and no trial date has been set.
Doyle APC, based in San Diego, is investigating AngioDynamics port catheter claims nationwide. If you had a port complication and are not sure which company made your device, we can review your medical records to identify it.
Last updated: November 4, 2026.
At a glance
- Defendants
- AngioDynamics, Inc. and Navilyst Medical, Inc., its subsidiary since 2012
- Products
- SmartPort, Vortex, Xcela, and BioFlo implanted ports and their catheters
- Main injuries
- Catheter fracture and migration, infection and sepsis, blood clots, removal surgery
- Court
- MDL No. 3125, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Judge Jinsook Ohta
- Cases pending
- 450 in the MDL as of November 2, 2026; about 430 claims reported by AngioDynamics as of August 31, 2026
- Trials
- None yet; the bellwether pool narrows to 10 cases in February 2027
- Settlement
- No settlement announced
Who may have a claim
You may have an AngioDynamics port claim if:
- You had an AngioDynamics or Navilyst implanted port, such as a SmartPort, Vortex, Xcela, or BioFlo port, placed for chemotherapy, infusions, or other long-term treatment
- You had a serious complication, such as a catheter fracture or migration, a port-related infection or sepsis, a blood clot, or perforation of a blood vessel or the heart
- You needed treatment such as surgery to remove the port or retrieve catheter fragments, hospitalization, or extended antibiotic or blood thinner therapy
- The filing deadline that applies to you has not passed
Cases involving removal or revision surgery are often the strongest, but you do not need to have had the port removed to ask about a claim. Families may have a wrongful death claim when a loved one died after a port complication.
Products involved
The lawsuits involve implanted ports made or sold by AngioDynamics, Inc. and Navilyst Medical, Inc., including:
- SmartPort ports, including the SmartPort CT, SmartPort+, and SmartPort Plastic
- Vortex ports and ports using Vortex technology
- Xcela and Xcela Plus ports
- BioFlo ports, whose polyurethane catheters include an additive the company calls Endexo technology
Some of these devices are marketed as power injectable, meaning they can handle the high-pressure injections used for CT contrast. That is a feature, not a brand. The Bard PowerPort is a different device made by a different company, and it is the subject of a separate MDL.
How to identify your port
Your patient identification card, the operative report from the placement procedure, and the hospital’s implant record identify the manufacturer and model of your port. Many patients assume every port is a PowerPort, but several companies make them. If your port or a catheter fragment was removed, ask the hospital whether the device was kept, and keep any imaging. If you have trouble identifying your port, contact us and we can request and review the records for you.
Recalls
There has been no recall for the catheter degradation, fracture, or infection problems alleged in the lawsuits, and a recall is not required to bring a claim. The FDA lists several Class II recalls of specific AngioDynamics port kits for other issues, including a 2018 recall of BioFlo port kits packaged with the wrong port assembly, a 2019 recall of BioFlo and Xcela port kits with out-of-specification connectors, a 2021 recall of SmartPort CT kits for possible compromised sterility, and a 2022 recall of Vortex port kits shipped without instructions for use.
Injuries and complications
- Catheter fracture and embolization. Pieces of a degraded catheter can break off and travel through the bloodstream to the heart or lungs, sometimes requiring a procedure or surgery to retrieve them.
- Catheter migration. The catheter can move out of position, which can stop the port from working and damage blood vessels.
- Infection and sepsis. Bloodstream infections linked to the port can become life threatening and usually require removing the device.
- Blood clots. Clots can form on or around the catheter, causing deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism.
- Perforation. A catheter or fragment can puncture a blood vessel or the heart.
Warning signs include chest pain, shortness of breath, an irregular heartbeat, swelling or pain in the arm, neck, or chest, fever or chills, redness or drainage at the port site, and trouble flushing the port or drawing blood. Treatment often means removing the port, retrieving catheter fragments, long courses of antibiotics, or blood thinners, and it can delay cancer treatment. Anyone with these symptoms should get medical care right away.
Why the catheters are alleged to fail
An implanted port is a small reservoir placed under the skin of the chest or arm, connected to a thin catheter that runs into a large vein near the heart. It allows repeated access for chemotherapy, medications, and blood draws.
The lawsuits focus on the catheter. To make it visible on X-rays, the manufacturer blends barium sulfate into the silicone or polyurethane catheter material. Plaintiffs allege that the amount and handling of barium sulfate weakened the tubing, causing it to degrade, crack, and fracture inside the body, and created a rough surface where bacteria and blood clots can form.
The lawsuits allege that AngioDynamics and Navilyst sold catheters prone to degradation and fracture, failed to adequately test the material, failed to warn doctors and patients about the risks of fracture, migration, infection, and blood clots, and continued selling the devices despite adverse event reports describing those failures. The claims include design defect, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, and negligence. The companies deny the allegations.
Where the litigation stands
On October 3, 2024, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated federal AngioDynamics port cases before Judge Jinsook Ohta in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego. As of November 2, 2026, 450 of the 496 cases filed in MDL No. 3125 remained pending, up from about 300 in January 2026. In its October 2026 quarterly SEC filing, AngioDynamics reported that it was defending about 430 port product liability claims as of August 31, 2026.
The court has dismissed some cases as filed too late, generally with permission to amend, and has required some plaintiffs to state when they discovered their claims. Discovery in the bellwether process focuses on the catheters and covers three categories of injury: infection, fracture, and blood clots. No settlement has been announced.
Trials and verdicts
No AngioDynamics port case has gone to trial, and no trial date has been set. The court’s schedule for preparing bellwether trials is:
- October 14, 2025: bellwether process set. The court entered an order setting the process for selecting bellwether cases, the representative cases prepared for trial first.
- August 4, 2026: 18-case pool. Each side selected nine cases for the initial bellwether pool.
- February 9, 2027: 10-case pool. Each side is to select five cases for a 10-case bellwether pool, with each side then allowed to strike one.
- November 29, 2027: pretrial motions. Motions challenging expert testimony and motions for summary judgment are due. Trial dates are expected to follow those rulings.
Recent developments
- October 8, 2026: AngioDynamics reported about 430 port product liability claims in its quarterly SEC filing.
- November 2, 2026: The MDL reached 450 pending cases.
- September 14, 2026: Plaintiff fact sheets were due in the bellwether pool cases.
- August 4, 2026: The parties selected 18 cases for the initial bellwether pool.
- July 14, 2026: AngioDynamics reported about 412 port product liability claims in its annual report.
- April 24, 2026: The court extended the bellwether and discovery deadlines by about 60 days.
Settlements and compensation
AngioDynamics has not announced a settlement of the port catheter cases, and there is no settlement fund or claim form. In the related Bard PowerPort litigation, a federal jury awarded $40 million in September 2026 to a woman whose catheter fractured and sent a fragment to her heart. That verdict involved a different company’s device and does not set the value of AngioDynamics claims.
Compensation in a port catheter case can include economic damages for past and future medical expenses, such as removal and retrieval procedures, hospitalization, and related care, and non-economic damages for pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. A spouse may have a separate claim for loss of consortium, and families may bring wrongful death claims. Some states allow punitive damages when a company’s conduct meets a high legal standard.
The value of an individual claim depends on factors such as the type of complication, whether a fragment reached the heart or lungs, the procedures needed, whether treatment for cancer or another illness was delayed, the person’s age and health, how clearly the records identify an AngioDynamics device, and the law of the state that applies.
Deadlines to file
Every claim is subject to a filing deadline, called the statute of limitations, set by state law. These deadlines vary widely from state to state. In many states, the time limit runs from when a person knew or should have known that the port caused the injury. The court in this MDL has already dismissed some cases as filed too late, so anyone who had a port complication should have their deadline reviewed promptly.
How we handle these cases
Doyle APC is based in San Diego, where the AngioDynamics MDL is pending, and is investigating these claims for people nationwide. Federal MDLs allow attorneys to appear in the consolidated court from any state. Our founder has handled complex litigation since 1997, including medical device cases, and the firm currently represents clients in the Bard PowerPort litigation, which involves similar implanted port claims.
We gather the port placement and removal records, imaging, patient identification cards, and treatment records needed to identify the device and document the injury. Some cases we handle directly, and others we pursue with experienced co-counsel. You pay nothing unless we recover.
Common questions
Who qualifies for an AngioDynamics port catheter lawsuit?
You may qualify if you had an AngioDynamics or Navilyst implanted port, such as a SmartPort, Vortex, Xcela, or BioFlo port, and suffered a serious complication, such as a catheter fracture, infection, or blood clot, that required treatment, and the statute of limitations that applies to you has not run. You do not need to have had the port removed to ask about a claim.
Do you handle cases outside California?
Yes. Doyle APC is investigating AngioDynamics port claims nationwide. Federal cases are filed in the MDL in San Diego, which accepts cases from every state.
How do I know if I have an AngioDynamics port?
Check your patient identification card, the operative report from the placement procedure, or your hospital records, which identify the manufacturer and model. We can request and review those records for you.
Is this the same as the Bard PowerPort lawsuit?
No. The Bard cases are a separate MDL in Arizona against a different manufacturer, and they are further along. Both involve similar allegations about barium sulfate in port catheters.
Have there been any AngioDynamics port trials?
Not yet. The court is narrowing a pool of bellwether cases, with a 10-case pool due in February 2027 and pretrial motions due in November 2027. No trial date has been set.
What is the average settlement for an AngioDynamics port catheter lawsuit?
There is no published average because AngioDynamics has not announced a settlement. The value of any individual claim depends on the complication, the procedures needed, and the person’s medical history.
Is there an AngioDynamics port catheter class action?
No. Federal cases are consolidated in MDL No. 3125 for pretrial proceedings, but each person keeps an individual case based on their own injuries.
How long do I have to file an AngioDynamics port lawsuit?
It depends on the statute of limitations in the state whose law applies, and deadlines vary widely. The court has already dismissed some cases as filed too late, so have your deadline reviewed promptly.
Sources
- Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation: transfer order creating MDL No. 3125 (October 3, 2024) and pending MDL dockets report (November 2, 2026)
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California: case management and scheduling orders in MDL No. 3125
- AngioDynamics, Inc.: Form 10-K (July 14, 2026) and Form 10-Q (October 8, 2026) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: medical device recall records for AngioDynamics port products (2018 to 2022)