LINX Reflux Management Lawsuit Claims Recalled Device Required Removal Surgery

Lawsuit claims defective design led to the LINX failure, causing permanent injuries and worsening of GERD symptoms the device was supposed to address.

A product liability lawsuit filed by a Pennsylvania woman alleges that her LINX Reflux Management System failed after the device was implanted, requiring additional surgery and leaving her disfigured.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Leslie Reicher in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on April 30, claiming defendants Torax Medical Inc. and Ethicon Inc. designed, manufactured, marketed and distributed a defective medical device.

Introduced by Torax Medical before the company was acquired by Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit, the LINX Reflux Management System is a small ring of magnetic beads connected by titanium wires that is implanted around the lower esophageal sphincter. The device is designed to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition that allows stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus. 

However, despite claims by the manufacturers that the LINX is safe and effective, the implant has been linked to complications caused by the beads becoming disconnected from the wires holding them in place. Following a determination by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the device was defectively manufactured, a LINX recall was announced in May 2018.

In light of this action, Reicher’s complaint and similar LINX Reflux Management System lawsuits claim the implant is prone to breaking inside the human body. This can cause serious injuries, potentially resulting in migration of the device, damage to nearby organs or other serious complications. Plaintiffs allege that the manufacturer knew, or should have known, about the risk of LINX failures, and either changed the design or provided more accurate safety warnings.

LINX Implant Failure Allegations

According to the lawsuit, Reicher was implanted with a LINX Reflux Management System in April 2017. About a year later, her implant was included in a LINX recall.

Reicher claims the device failed because of a defective design, ultimately requiring revision surgery to remove the implant. However, the lawsuit indicates the failure had already caused permanent injuries, disfigurement and a worsening of her GERD symptoms by the time doctors removed the device in March.

The complaint further alleges that doctors identified the same manufacturing defects that caused other LINX implants to fail and be recalled.

As a result, Reicher says she suffered physical pain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses, mental anguish, physical impairment and disfigurement.

“Here, Plaintiff seeks to vindicate her rights at law for having to experience a severe recurrence of her GERD symptoms and undergo another invasive surgery to remove the defective LINX.”

– Leslie Reicher v. Torax Medical Inc. et al

Reicher presents claims of manufacturing defect, negligence and negligence per se. She seeks compensatory damages.

LINX GERD Implant Lawsuits

In September 2025, seven years after the U.S. recall, the LINX device was removed from several foreign markets as well, raising concerns that other patients with the implant are at risk of bead separation and implant failure.

Due to the seriousness of the reported problems, attorneys are reviewing LINX injury claims and pursuing compensation for those who experienced complications, including:

• The need for revision surgery or removal of the device
• Device breakage or mechanical failure
• Migration of the implant
• Organ punctures or tissue damage

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