Guidant Defibrillators
Guidant
Corporation has recalled several models of its
cardiac defibrillators due to defects and numerous reports
of the medical device failures that in some cases have
led to death. These devices known as ICDs
(implantable cardioverter defibrillators) are intended to sense irregular
heart rhythms and to send an electrical pulse to the
heart to shock it into beating properly. The defect with
these medical devices causes them to short circuit and
thus, malfunction.
June 16, 2005 - Guidant recalled 50,000 defibrillator
devices including the following models:
• Prizm
2 DR, Model 1861, manufactured on or before
April 16, 2002
• Contak
Renewal, Model H135, manufactured on or
before Aug. 26, 2004
• Contak Renewal 2, Model H155, manufactured on
or before Aug. 26, 2004
• Prizm AVT Vitality AVT Renewal 3
• AVT Renewal 4 AVT
June 24, 2005 - Guidant issued an advisory about additional
defibrillator devices including the following models:
• Contak Renewal 3 and 4
• Renewal 3 and 4 AVT
• Renewal RF
The recall comes after Guidant Corp. failed to inform
doctors and patients for over three years of the defect
in some of the models. The FDA, U.S. Department of
Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission and
several state agencies are investigating Guidant Corp.
over its recalls last summer.
Patients with a defibrillator who are unsure if their
device is one of the recalled models should contact
their doctor as soon as possible to determine if their
Guidant defibrillator requires replacement, if their
defibrillator can be reprogrammed, or if their defibrillator
is not affected by the recall.
If you or someone you care about has used Guidant Defibrillators and suffered
a serious injury, please fill out our Case Review Contact Form to the right on
this page to find out what your case is worth.
