Reported Reactions

Adverse event reports that FDA received

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Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece medical device reports that FDA received

Name type
Device brand name, as written on reports
Generic name
Ultrasonic-surgery devices - reusab
Device type
Instrument, ultrasonic surgical (product code LFL)
Manufacturer given most often on reports
Ethicon Endo-Surgery

What a report is

A report is not proof that the device was the cause of the event.

FDA says:

Adverse event reports submitted to FDA do not undergo extensive validation or verification. Therefore, a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report. While a suspected relationship may exist, it is not medically validated and should not be the sole source of information for clinical decision making or other assumptions about the safety or efficacy of a product. Additionally, it is important to remember that adverse event reports represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product. Common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product.

Source: openFDA, Device Adverse Event Overview, section "Responsible use of the data". The site read the page on . The data have the reports that FDA received through .

FDA also says:

Although MDRs are a valuable source of information, this passive surveillance system has limitations, including the potential submission of incomplete, inaccurate, untimely, unverified, or biased data. In addition, the incidence or prevalence of an event cannot be determined from this reporting system alone due to potential under-reporting of events and lack of information about frequency of device use.

Source: openFDA, Device Adverse Event Overview. The site read the page on .

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.

Source: openFDA, Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience. The site read the page on .

Do not rely on openFDA to make decisions regarding medical care. While we make every effort to ensure that data is accurate, you should assume all results are unvalidated.

Source: openFDA, Response of the drug event API (meta.disclaimer). The site read the page on .

Not medical advice. This site counts what was reported to FDA. Questions about a medicine or device belong with a pharmacist or clinician.

Reports on file

From April 2000 to September 2002, FDA received 1,677 medical device reports that name the brand Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece. A brand name is as the reporter or the manufacturer wrote it, so one product can have more than one spelling.

FDA received no report that names Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece in the five years to September 2026. The latest report was received in September 2002.

The number of people who use the product is not in the data. A count is not a rate. A count of reports is not a count of events or of patients, because one event can have more than one report.

What an MDR is

A medical device report: one submission to FDA about one event. It has the brand name, the generic name, the manufacturer, the product code, the event type and coded problems. Manufacturers and user facilities must send reports.

Data version

openFDA MAUDE release of 23 Oct 2026. Reports received through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

FDA says:

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.

Source: openFDA, Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience. The site read the page on .

The latest update of the FDA data, recorded on , changed no count of this page.

FDA received no report that names Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece in April to June 2026, in January to March 2026 or in April to June 2025.

April to June 2026 is the latest closed quarter in the data. A closed quarter is a quarter for which the FDA files have most of the reports.

All updatesFeed of updates (RSS)

Event types by year

The event type is the classification that the reporter gave. The four terms are FDA's.

FDA says:

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.

Source: openFDA, Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience. The site read the page on .

Reports that name Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece, by event type and by the year in which FDA received them

The table continues to the right.

YearReportsDeathInjuryMalfunctionOtherNot given
20004260241707
20011,060121,041115
20021910118802

An event type in a report is not proof that the device was the cause. FDA does not verify the event type.

Malfunction

A malfunction report says that the device did not do what it was made to do. It can be with or without harm to a person.

Reports by month

FDA received no report that names Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece in the five years to September 2026. FDA received the latest report in September 2002.

Event type and report source

Event type in all reports that name Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece
Event typeReportsShareShare as a bar
Death10.1%
Injury50.3%
Malfunction1,64698.2%
Other10.1%
Not given241.4%
Source of the reports that name Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece
Report sourceReportsShareShare as a bar
Manufacturer report1,677100%
Voluntary report00%
User facility report00%
Distributor report00%
Not given00%

Each share is of the 1,677 reports that name this brand, not of the devices in use.

Device problems coded

Device problem codes in the reports that name Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece
Device problem (FDA code)ReportsShare
Replace1,03962%
Sticking63838%
Noise42025%
Device issuea problem with the device19511.6%
Loss of powerthe device lost power995.9%
Device inoperablethe device could not be used865.1%
Abnormal784.7%
Component(s), broken643.8%
Failure, intermittent392.3%
Other (for use when an appropriate device code cannot be identified)392.3%
Overheating of device382.3%
Nonstandard device362.1%
Malfunction352.1%
Mechanical problema mechanical problem321.9%
System fails to activate271.6%
Breakthe device broke181.1%
Heat181.1%
Cautery120.7%
Defective devicethe device was defective120.7%
False alarm110.7%

These are the device problem codes of FDA, as written on the report. One report can have more than one code. The table leaves out general codes such as "no apparent adverse event".

Patient problems coded

Patient problem codes in the reports that name Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece
Patient problem (FDA code)ReportsShare
Surgery, prolonged261.6%
Surgical procedure, additional201.2%
Failure to anastomose80.5%
Electric shockan electric shock20.1%
Surgical procedure20.1%
Therapy/non-surgical treatment, additional20.1%
Bleeding10.1%
Blood loss10.1%
Burn, thermal10.1%
Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term10.1%
Device induced10.1%
Foreign body, removal of10.1%
Hemorrhage/blood loss/bleeding10.1%
Laparotomy10.1%
Numbnessnumbness10.1%

Patient problem codes are mainly in reports sent since 2019, and the field is often empty.

Pages near this one

These links are for navigation. No count selected them. The page of the device type lists each brand name with product code LFL.

Official pages

The site checked these addresses on . The links open in a new tab.

Cite this page

Reported Reactions. Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece: medical device reports that FDA received. https://reportedreactions.com/device/harmonic-scalpel-ultracision-hand-piece/ Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA Device Adverse Event (MAUDE) files, release of . Reports received through .

Where the data come from

The counts come from the openFDA Device Adverse Event (MAUDE) bulk files, release of 23 Oct 2026. The files have the reports that FDA received through 30 Sep 2026. Brand names, generic names and manufacturer names are as written on the reports. The names of the product codes come from the device classification of FDA.

A report is in the count when a device in it has this brand name, after the site removes differences of punctuation and capital letters. The site does not publish a report narrative, a lot number, a detail of a patient or the identity of a reporter. The record of FDA is the authority. See how the site counts reports, the data sources and the corrections page.

Questions

Do these reports show that Harmonic Scalpel Ultracision Hand Piece was at fault?

No. FDA says:

The submission of an MDR itself does not necessarily demonstrate that the device caused or contributed to the adverse outcome or event.

Source: FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health, About Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) Database. Content current as of . The site read the page on .

Confirming whether a device actually caused a specific event can be difficult based solely on information provided in a given report.

Source: openFDA, Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience. The site read the page on .

What event types do the reports record?

Death (1), injury (5), malfunction (1,646) and other (1). The event type is the classification that the reporter gave: death, injury, malfunction or other. FDA does not verify it.

Who sent these reports?

Manufacturer reports (100%). These are the sources of the reports that name this brand.

Some reports come directly from user facilities (like hospitals) or device importers (distributors), while others come directly from manufacturers.

Source: openFDA, Device Adverse Event Overview. The site read the page on .

How does a person report a problem with a medical device?

FDA runs MedWatch, a program that takes voluntary reports about medical devices. The guide on how to report has the links.