Pacemakers are an incredible and lifesaving piece of technology. If a patient is suffering from bradyrythmia, or slow heart rate, the pacemaker is implanted to help the heart beat faster using tiny electric impulses. There is a small device implanted which is the actual pacemaker and then there is a small wire and lead that extends out from the pacemaker to the heart. Finally, an outside programming transmitter monitors the effectiveness of the pacemaker and allows healthcare practitioners to assess how well it’s working and if any changes need to be implemented.
Pacemakers, like many other products do sometimes malfunction, however, and in this case a patient may suffer serious harm of illness. Guidant pacemakers, for instance, have recently fallen under fire of a number of product liability lawsuits after a significant pacemaker recall. In July of 2005 Guidant warned physicians everywhere that their pacemakers, models Pulsar, Pulsar Max (I and II), Discovery (I and II), Meridian, Virtus Plus, Intelis II, and Contak TR, made between 1997 and 2000 needed to be replaced in any patients. The Federal Food and Drug Administration then classified the warning as a Guidant pacemaker recall.
The issue with the Guidant pacemakers is that the hermetic seal degrades after a number of years, leading to increased moisture in the pacemaker and then malfunction. The pacemaker failure can occur in several ways whether in early battery depletion, or inappropriate acceleration or deceleration of the pacemaker itself. In many cases, these Guidant pacemakers have already been removed because their lifespan of 5 + years has been fulfilled – but the timing of the implantation is not actually a good indicator of the deterioration of the seal, which is why the FDA has created a Guidant pacemaker recall, rather than letting the Guidant pacemaker warning stand.
If you have experienced a problem with your Guidant pacemaker, or a loved one has died because of a Guidant pacemaker malfunction, you should seek the advice of an attorney immediately. There are a large number of product liability lawsuits and class action lawsuits underway over the Guidant pacemaker failure. Several of these lawsuits cite product liability and negligence because it is alleged that Guidant continued to allow these defective pacemakers to be implanted even though they knew of the problem. This design flaw has lead to at least 69 Guidant pacemaker failures to date and 20 specific reports of failure to pace the heart. The problems have also led to heart failure in at least two patients.
It’s incredible important to find an experienced product liability or medical device malfunction specialist attorney to help you if you plan to seek action. Your attorney will be able to identify if you have a simple product liability claim, if you are entitled to other compensation in redress and if medical malpractice is also a factor. As of March, 2006, claimants and plaintiffs are still coming forward and filing suit. If you have been injured, or if you know someone who has been injured because of Guidant pacemakers, you should call an attorney as soon as possible.