Devices › Instrument, ultrasonic surgical
Device brand name · Ultracision surgery reusable devices footswitch
Harmonic Scalpel Footswitch: medical device reports filed with FDA
296 reports name it, 2003–2005. Manufacturer given most often on reports: Ethicon Endo-Surgery Cincinnati. Product code LFL.
- 296
- device reports naming the brand
- 0% of all MAUDE reports · about 13 a year
- 0
- reports, 12 months to August 2026
- 0 in the 12 months before
- 98.6%
- classified as malfunction
- 94.9% across the product code
- 0%
- classified as death, as reported
- 0 reports · not verified by FDA
296 medical device reports received by FDA name the brand "Harmonic Scalpel Footswitch" (ultracision surgery reusable devices footswitch); the manufacturer given most often on reports is Ethicon Endo-Surgery Cincinnati; received from February 2003 to October 2005. Brand names are as the reporter or manufacturer wrote them, so one product can appear under several spellings.
0 reports arrived in the 12 months to August 2026, and none in the 12 months before. FDA releases MAUDE data monthly; reports can arrive months after an event, so the newest months grow in later releases. The event types recorded are malfunction (98.6%) and injury (1%); across all instrument, ultrasonic surgical reports (product code LFL) death is recorded in 0.1% and malfunction in 94.9%. Event type is the reporter's classification of the report, not a verified outcome.
The device problems coded most often are replace (40.9%), device displays incorrect message (26.4%) and device issue (13.2%). The patient problems coded most often are surgical procedure aborted/stopped, no patient involvement and surgery, prolonged. FDA states that "MDR data alone cannot be used to establish rates of events, evaluate a change in event rates over time or compare event rates between devices. The number of reports cannot be interpreted or used in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, or frequency of problems associated with devices." It adds that the reporting system "has limitations, including the potential submission of incomplete, inaccurate, untimely, unverified, or biased data."
Reports by month, five years
No report naming Harmonic Scalpel Footswitch was received in the five years to August 2026; the latest was received in October 2005.
By year received
Event type and report source
Event type, as classified on the report
Who filed the report
Grey bar: all 68,457 reports carrying product code LFL. Event type is the filer's classification and is not verified by FDA.
Device problems coded
| Device problem (FDA code) | Reports | Share | Share across product code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replace | 121 | 40.9% | 13.3% |
| Device displays incorrect message | 78 | 26.4% | 10.7% |
| Device issuea problem with the device | 39 | 13.2% | 3.9% |
| Failure, intermittent | 25 | 8.4% | 0.3% |
| Breakthe device broke | 23 | 7.8% | 20.5% |
| Cable break | 15 | 5.1% | 0% |
| Cable, defective | 15 | 5.1% | 0% |
| System fails to activate | 15 | 5.1% | 0.7% |
| Malfunction | 14 | 4.7% | 0.4% |
| Difficult or delayed activation | 12 | 4.1% | 2.5% |
| Defective devicethe device was defective | 8 | 2.7% | 0.6% |
| Other (for use when an appropriate device code cannot be identified) | 8 | 2.7% | 0.3% |
| Defective component | 6 | 2% | 0.3% |
| Component(s), broken | 5 | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Loose or intermittent connection | 4 | 1.4% | 0.3% |
| Repair | 4 | 1.4% | 0.3% |
| Device operates differently than expectedthe device behaved unexpectedly | 2 | 0.7% | 2.7% |
| Failure to power up | 2 | 0.7% | 0.2% |
| Intermittent continuity | 2 | 0.7% | 0% |
| Material discolored | 2 | 0.7% | 0% |
FDA's device problem codes as entered on the report; one report can carry several. Generic codes such as "no apparent adverse event" are left out.
Patient problems coded
| Patient problem (FDA code) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical procedure aborted/stopped | 28 | 9.5% |
| No patient involvement | 5 | 1.7% |
| Surgery, prolonged | 3 | 1% |
| Surgical procedure | 3 | 1% |
| Surgical procedure, delayed | 1 | 0.3% |
| Therapy/non-surgical treatment/delayed/prolonged | 1 | 0.3% |
| Transfusion of blood products | 1 | 0.3% |
Patient problem codes are present mainly in reports filed since 2019 and are often blank.
In context
| Measure | Harmonic Scalpel Footswitch | Product code LFL | All MAUDE reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports | 296 | 68,457 | 26,136,888 |
| Share of that pool | — | 0.4% | 0% |
| Classified as death, per 1,000 reports | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Classified as injury | 1% | 4.5% | 36.2% |
| Classified as malfunction | 98.6% | 94.9% | 62.3% |
| Filed by the manufacturer | 100% | 96.8% | 94.9% |
Shares are of reports, not of devices in use. FDA states that "MDR data alone cannot be used to establish rates of events, evaluate a change in event rates over time or compare event rates between devices. The number of reports cannot be interpreted or used in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, or frequency of problems associated with devices." It adds that the reporting system "has limitations, including the potential submission of incomplete, inaccurate, untimely, unverified, or biased data."
Other brands with product code LFL
| Brand | Reports | Latest 12 months | Classified as death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultracision Harmonic Ace | 9,358 | 0 | 0% |
| Harmonic Ace Plus 7 Adv Hemostasis 36 | 6,831 | 537 | 0% |
| Harmonic Hd 1000i Shears 36cm Shaft | 5,033 | 196 | 0% |
| Harmonic Lap 5mm Shear 36cm | 2,720 | 88 | 0% |
| Harmonic Ace 36 Cm | 2,598 | 0 | 0.1% |
| Harmonic Ace 36cm W Erg Handle | 2,341 | 0 | 0% |
| Sonicision | 1,809 | 139 | 0.2% |
| Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece | 1,677 | 0 | 0.1% |
| SONICBEAT 5 mm, 35 cm, Front-actuated Grip | 1,640 | 373 | 0% |
| Harmonic ACE | 1,636 | 680 | 0.1% |
| Harmonic 1100 Shears 36cm | 1,434 | 203 | 0.1% |
| Ultracision Harmonic Scalpel Hand Piece | 1,430 | 0 | 0% |
| Harmonic Scalpel Hand Piece | 1,365 | 23 | 0% |
| Ultracision Surg Dev Curved Shears Endo | 1,586 | 0 | 0% |
| Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Laparosonic Coagulating She | 1,067 | 0 | 0.1% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that "MDR data alone cannot be used to establish rates of events, evaluate a change in event rates over time or compare event rates between devices. The number of reports cannot be interpreted or used in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, or frequency of problems associated with devices." It adds that the reporting system "has limitations, including the potential submission of incomplete, inaccurate, untimely, unverified, or biased data." FDA also states that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product."
Questions about Harmonic Scalpel Footswitch reports
How many FDA reports name Harmonic Scalpel Footswitch?
296 medical device reports in the openFDA MAUDE release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through August 2026; 0 in the latest 12 months.
What kinds of events are reported?
malfunction (98.6%) and injury (1%). "Event type" is how the report was classified when filed: death, injury, malfunction or other.
What device problems are coded?
replace (40.9%), device displays incorrect message (26.4%), device issue (13.2%), failure, intermittent (8.4%) and break (7.8%). These are FDA's device problem codes as entered on the report.
Who files these reports?
manufacturer reports (100%). Manufacturers and user facilities are required to report; voluntary reports come from health professionals and the public.
Do these reports show that Harmonic Scalpel Footswitch was at fault?
No. FDA states that "MDR data alone cannot be used to establish rates of events, evaluate a change in event rates over time or compare event rates between devices. The number of reports cannot be interpreted or used in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, or frequency of problems associated with devices." It adds that the reporting system "has limitations, including the potential submission of incomplete, inaccurate, untimely, unverified, or biased data." FDA adds that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report."
How do I report a problem with a medical device?
Through FDA MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 for health professionals and consumers), or to the manufacturer. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Device Adverse Event (MAUDE) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 31 Aug 2026. Brand, generic and manufacturer names are as written on the reports; product code names come from FDA's device classification. A report counts here when any device it lists carries this brand name after punctuation and capitalisation are normalised. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.