Force TriverseRecalls & reported problems across all models

We found 2 models of Force Triverse by Covidien LP in the FDA's device registry (GUDID). Together they are named in 29 adverse event reports in the FDA's MAUDE database, received between Aug 21, 2017 and Feb 3, 2026 — classified as 29 malfunctions.

The most frequently reported specific device problem is “Fire” (9 reports).

1 FDA recall record name at least one of these models by its device identifier.

Reports come from manufacturers, hospitals and patients and are not verified by the FDA. A report does not prove the device caused the event. Widely used products collect more reports, so totals can't be used to compare products or estimate failure rates. Only reports that name a model's exact device identifier are counted. What reports can and can't tell you · How this data works

Force Triverse recalls

FDA recall records that name at least one of these models by its device identifier, newest first. Each recall usually covers specific models or lots, so check the details.

1. Feb 15, 2019Class IITerminated

   Potential for the sterile packaging to be compromised

   Z-1020-2019 · Root cause: Equipment maintenance · Recall details · FDA record ↗

Most reported Force Triverse problems

Force Triverse models

2 models, most reported first. Each model has its own page with its reports, recalls and device details.

• Force Triverse FT3000

  ELECTROSURGICAL, CUTTING & COAGULATION & ACCESSORIES
  1 recall27 reports
• Force Triverse FT3000DB

  ELECTROSURGICAL, CUTTING & COAGULATION & ACCESSORIES
  2 reports

Recent Force Triverse adverse event reports

The 15 most recent reports across all models, in the reporter's own words as published by the FDA.

• MalfunctionFeb 3, 2026Inappropriate/Inadequate Shock/Stimulation; Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem

  IT WAS REPORTED THAT DURING AN OPEN BREAST SURGERY, A 1ST DEGREE BURN AND A VERY SMALL PUNCTURE WOUND OCCURRED ON THE HAND OF THE SURGEON CAUSED BY ELECTRIC SHOCK. THE BURN SITE WAS TREATED WITH MEDICAL OINTMENT. ANOTHER FT10 UNIT WAS USED TO COMPLETE THE PROCEDURE. THE PATIENT WAS SAFE WITHOUT ANY BURN.

  Patient problems: Electric Shock; Superficial (First Degree) Burn

  MAUDE report 24245757 ↗
• MalfunctionJul 17, 2025Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem; Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem

  IT WAS REPORTED THAT, DURING A LAPAROSCOPIC PROCEDURE, THE PATIENT WAS NOT HARMED BUT THE PHYSICIAN WAS BURNED (MINOR BURN) ON THE HAND.

  Patient problems: Burn(s)

  MAUDE report 22529976 ↗
• MalfunctionMay 26, 2025Fire; Fire

  IT WAS REPORTED THAT DURING A BELOW KNEE AMPUTATION PROCEDURE, THE DEVICE LIT UP, INDICATING A DEVICE FIRE. NO MEDICAL OR SURGICAL I INTERVENTION WAS NEEDED TO PREVENT PERMANENT IMPAIRMENT OF A FUNCTION, AND THE EVENT DID NOT LEAD TO OR EXTEND PATIENT HOSPITALIZATION. THERE WAS NO INJURY REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THE EVENT.

  Patient problems: No Clinical Signs, Symptoms or Conditions

  MAUDE report 22084813 ↗
• MalfunctionApr 30, 2025Fire; Fire

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, DURING A BELOW KNEE AMPUTATION PROCEDURE, THE TIP LIT UP LIKE A CANDLE. TIP WAS REPLACED AND THE PENCIL WORKED FINE. LATER THE SAME CASE, ANOTHER PENCIL WAS USED AND THE TIP SPARKED AND BURNED LIKE CANDLE AGAIN. THEY USED NEW DEVICE TO COMPLETE THE PROCEDURE. THERE WAS NO OPERATING ROOM FIRE AND IT EXTINGUISHED ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS NO PATIENT INJURY.

  Patient problems: No Clinical Signs, Symptoms or Conditions

  MAUDE report 21935244 ↗
• MalfunctionApr 30, 2025Fire; Arcing; Fire; Arcing

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, DURING A BELOW KNEE AMPUTATION PROCEDURE, THE TIP LIT UP LIKE A CANDLE. TIP WAS REPLACED AND THE PENCIL WORKED FINE. LATER THE SAME CASE, ANOTHER PENCIL WAS USED AND THE TIP SPARKED AND BURNED LIKE CANDLE AGAIN. THEY USED NEW DEVICE TO COMPLETE THE PROCEDURE. THERE WAS NO OPERATING ROOM FIRE AND IT EXTINGUISHED ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS NO PATIENT INJURY.

  Patient problems: No Clinical Signs, Symptoms or Conditions

  MAUDE report 21935196 ↗
• MalfunctionApr 11, 2023Self-Activation or Keying; Self-Activation or Keying

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, DURING A LAPAROSOPIC PROCEDURE, IT WASN'T POSSIBLE TO SET UP THE AMPERAGE MANUALLY, THREE INSTRUMENTS HAD TO BE USED IN ONE OPERATION. THE FIRST DEVICE HAD SELF ACTIVATION. THERE WAS NO ACTIVATION ON THE 2ND DEVICE. THE SURGEON USED BOTH HAND SWITCH AND FOOT SWITCH. THE 3RD PENCIL WAS USED AND IT WORKED FINE. THERE WAS NO BURN INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO PATIENT INJURY.

  Patient problems: Insufficient Information; No Clinical Signs, Symptoms or Conditions

  MAUDE report 16714149 ↗
• MalfunctionMar 7, 2023Fire; Fire

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, DURING A LIVER RESECTION, THE SURGEON WAS USING THE BOVIE, IT WAS SET DOWN. WHEN THEY WENT TO PICK IT UP AGAIN , THERE WAS A FLAME AT THE BOVIE TIP.

  Patient problems: Insufficient Information

  MAUDE report 16499317 ↗
• MalfunctionAug 26, 2022Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem; Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, DURING A PROCEDURE, THERE ARE SEVERAL ACCOUNTS OF WHAT POTENTIALLY HAPPENED. THE SURGEON STATED THEY BELIEVED IT WAS A SPARK COMING FROM THE DEVICE. THE REM PAD PLACEMENT AND FAULTY FORCE TRIVERSE PENCIL COULD BE THE CAUSE. THE STAFF BELIEVES THE NORMAL PROTOCOLS FOR REM PAD PLACEMENT AND ENERGY SETTINGS WERE CORRECT. THEY BELIEVED THAT THE PENCIL WAS NOT PROPERLY HOLSTERED IN THE PROVIDED PLASTIC HOLSTER AND ITS POSSIBLE THAT DURING THE CASE AN THE BUTTON WAS INADVERTENTLY ACTIVATED BY THE PLACEMENT OF THE RETRACT OR SURGEONS ELBOW. THEY MANUALLY CHECKED THE GENERATOR ERROR AND EVENT LOGS AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN ERROR. THE PATIENT HAD SMALL FIRST DEGREE BURN TO EPIDERMIS TO THE RIGHT SIDE UPPER ABDOMEN NEAR NAVAL AND WAS TREATED WITH OINTMENT AND BANDAGE.

  Patient problems: Superficial (First Degree) Burn

  MAUDE report 15306320 ↗
• MalfunctionAug 2, 2022Self-Activation or Keying; Self-Activation or Keying

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, PRIOR TO USE, THE DEVICE HAD AN INTERMITTENT ACTIVATION. WHEN THE DEFECTIVE PRODUCT WAS CONNECTED TO THE GENERATOR, THE CUT BECAME A STATUS THAT IT WAS CONTINUED TO OUTPUT ALL THE TIME. THE GENERATOR WAS DISCONNECTED AND CONNECTED AGAIN, BUT THE SITUATION DID NOT IMPROVE, SO A NEW FT3000 WAS TAKEN OUT AND THE OPERATION WAS STARTED. THERE WAS NO PATIENT INVOLVEMENT.

  Patient problems: No Clinical Signs, Symptoms or Conditions

  MAUDE report 15148270 ↗
• MalfunctionDec 10, 2021Self-Activation or Keying; Self-Activation or Keying

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, DURING LAPAROTOMY LIVER RESECTION, THE POWER CONTROL ACTIVATED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT TOUCHED. USED A NEW PENCIL AND IT WORKED FINE. THERE WAS NO PATIENT INJURY.

  Patient problems: No Clinical Signs, Symptoms or Conditions

  MAUDE report 12976380 ↗
• MalfunctionApr 16, 2021Energy Output Problem; Device Remains Activated; Energy Output Problem; Device Remains Activated

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, DURING A PROCEDURE, THE DEVICE HAD AN ACTIVATION ISSUE, THE ACTIVATION BUTTON STICK IN THE 'ON' POSITION. THE DOCTOR WAS UNABLE TO MANUALLY CHANGE THE POWER OF THE DEVICE PEN. AT THE END OF THE SURGERY, THE SAME PEN WAS TESTED ON ANOTHER GENERATOR, BUT IT WAS ALSO NOT ABLE TO CHANGE THE ENERGY POWER MANUALLY. THE DOCTOR ONLY MANAGED TO CHANGE THE POWER OF THE ENERGY IN THE GENERATOR. THERE WAS NO PATIENT INJURY.

  Patient problems: No Clinical Signs, Symptoms or Conditions

  MAUDE report 11678170 ↗
• MalfunctionOct 28, 2020Arcing; Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem; Arcing; Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, DURING A PROCEDURE, A LEAD WAS BEING TESTED WHEN THERE WAS A FLAME THAT STARTED IN THE POCKET WHEN THE DEVICE WAS BEING USED. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WAS AN ARC CREATED. THERE WAS NO PATIENT INJURY.

  Patient problems: No Consequences Or Impact To Patient

  MAUDE report 10745863 ↗
• MalfunctionSep 17, 2020Self-Activation or Keying; Self-Activation or Keying

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, INTRA-OPERATIVELY, THE DEVICE ACTIVATED EVEN THE BUTTON WAS NOT BEING PRESSED. THERE WAS NO PATIENT INJURY. NO FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE.

  Patient problems: No Clinical Signs, Symptoms or Conditions; No Consequences Or Impact To Patient

  MAUDE report 10550327 ↗
• MalfunctionAug 19, 2020Arcing; Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem; Arcing; Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, DURING A BILATERAL BREAST REVISION WITH PLACEMENT OF IMPLANTS AND LIPOSUCTION, THE SURGEON JUMPED BACK AND A SPARK WAS OBSERVED. THE SURGEON WAS BURNED ABOVE THE WRIST THROUGH GOWN AT THE TIME THE INSTRUMENT WAS USED INSIDE THE CAPSULE, BREAST AREA. THE SCREEN SETTINGS WERE MONOPOLAR 2 RECEPTACLE, 25 CUT, 30 COAGULATION AND LEVEL 3. A NEW PEN WAS USED WITH NO RECURRENCE. NO FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE.

  Patient problems: Burn(s)

  MAUDE report 10427432 ↗
• MalfunctionMay 8, 2020Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem; Adverse Event Without Identified Device or Use Problem

  ACCORDING TO THE REPORTER, DURING AN OPEN TOTAL ABDOMINAL HYSTERECTOMY, WHILE PERFORMING HEMOSTASIS OF THE PERITONEAL AND MUSCULAR LAYERS. THE GAUZE NEAR THE BODY SPARKED AND HAD SMOLDERING COMBUSTION. WHEN FIRE WAS SMOLDERING AT THE OPERATION FIELD, GAUZE WAS IMMEDIATELY REMOVED AND DROPPED ON THE FLOOR, AND FIRE WAS PUT OUT. IT COULD NOT BE SPECIFIED HOW BIG THE FIRE WAS. AN ISOZINE, A DISINFECTANT, WAS FOUND TO BE ADHERED TO THE GAUZE. FT3000 WAS REPLACED AND SAME FT10 WAS USED. THERE WAS NO PATIENT INJURY.

  Patient problems: No Consequences Or Impact To Patient

  MAUDE report 10038135 ↗

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