Guidant Defibrillator Recall: Breaking News

BREAKING NEWS: 10.15.07--Medtronic, Inc., the world's largest maker of electronic heart devices, announced they are suspending sales of Sprint Fidelis leads. According to the FDA, these wires, used to connect defibrillators to the heart, may break or erode and may increase chance of injury. Learn more about the Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Recall.

The following articles are about Guidant Defibrillators, the Guidant recall, commentary from doctors and other individuals on the dangers of Guidant Defibrillators, and other Guidant Defibrillator information from news sources across the country and around the world.

If you or a loved one has suffered from a Guidant Defibrillator, you can contact us by filling out this simple form.

Guidant Case Settled in Corpus Christi

October 5, 2006, Corpus Christi Caller

Two Corpus Christi-area plaintiffs in a civil suit against Guidant Corp. dropped their claims against the company. According to Bloomberg News, the two sides had reached a confidential settlement. The lawsuit centered around the argument that the company knew of potentially fatal problems with the heart devices three years before a recall, and that the company failed to notify physicians.

Internal Turmoil at Device Maker as Inquiry Grew

February 28, 2006 (nytimes.com)

But newly released documents show that, inside Guidant, executives were struggling to contain a mounting crisis. The records illustrate how a series of miscalculations by Guidant, like its misreading of doctors' tolerance for being kept in the dark and its initial decision not to recall the devices, put the company on the defensive. As a result, company executives repeatedly changed course.

Guidant Case May Involve Crime Inquiry

September 29, 2005 (nytimes.com)

Criminal investigators at the Food and Drug Administration have apparently become involved in the agency's inquiry into how the Guidant Corporation handled problems with its heart devices, said two people contacted by the investigators.

Implant Program for Heart Device Was a Sales Spur

September 27, 2005 (nytimes.com)

By January, about 80 cardiologists nationwide completed an evaluation run by the Guidant Corporation of one of its products, an improved electrical component, known as a lead, that connects an implanted cardiac device to the heart. In exchange for implanting the lead in three patients and completing five survey forms, each physician received $1,000 from Guidant.

Guidant Recalls More Pacemakers Because of Failures; Co. Says No Deaths Due to Problems

September 22, 2005 (biz.yahoo.com)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Guidant Corp. said Thursday it recalled some of its top-selling Insignia and Nexus implantable pacemakers because of failures, including nine cases requiring emergency hospitalization.

Since June, Guidant has June recalled 88,000 heart defibrillators -- including its leading seller, the Contak Renewal 3 -- and issued warnings about 28,000 pacemakers because of malfunctions. Analysts said those actions applied to about 20 percent of the company's products.

Defibrillator Problems Are Associated With MEMS Magnetic Switch Technology

Solution Delivered by Reed Switch Technology From Hermetic Switch, Inc.

July 13th, 2005 (biz.yahoo.com)

CHICKASHA, Okla., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- A leading manufacturer of implantable defibrillators has indicated that a recent problem with several of their defibrillator models is due to a sticking "magnetic switch". It is important to clarify that although there are several types of magnetic switches, only one type, the MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems), is associated with this problem. In fact, the solution to this very problem is provided by another magnetic switch technology, the Reed Switch, from Hermetic Switch, Inc. Unfortunately, there has been some erroneous information conveyed in various media reports, adding to the confusion in this matter.

Patient Sues Guidant Over Flawed Heart Defibrillator

July 7th, 2005 (biz.yahoo.com)

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- A Corpus Christi man has filed a lawsuit against Indianapolis-based Guidant Corp. (NYSE: GDT - News), claiming the company concealed a potentially life-threatening flaw in a defibrillator implanted in his chest.

Safety first - Refocus the priority of the FDA

July 3rd, 2005 (heraldtribune.com)

The FDA recently announced the recall of a heart defibrillator device implanted in 29,000 patients. Two people died after the devices malfunctioned. The manufacturer, Guidant Corp., told doctors not to use five of its models because they could malfunction.

Guidant defibrillator recall becomes more urgent

July 2nd, 2005 (app.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — More than 20,600 Guidant Corp. cardiac defibrillators recalled last month have a malfunction that could cause serious injury or death, federal regulators said Friday in classifying the devices as the most urgent recall priority.

Eleven types of defibrillators made by Guidant were the subject of safety warnings issued last month. About 87,600 defibrillators are implanted in patients worldwide.

Guidant Tells Doctors to Halt Use of Defibrillators

June 24, 2005 (bloomberg.com)

Guidant Corp., the medical-devices maker Johnson & Johnson agreed to buy, told doctors to stop implanting five models of its cardiac defibrillators because an electrical defect may cause failures.

Guidant faces new legal challenge

June 21, 2005 (indystar.com)

The company has offered to replace 28,900 of the devices that are still in use.
“The problem is they haven’t said how that’s going to happen and how people would be able to go about doing this,” said Paul Pennock, an attorney with Weitz & Luxenberg, who is filing the lawsuit jointly with Seeger.

Defective Heart Devices Force Some Scary Medical Decisions

June 20, 2005 (nytimes.com)

In coming weeks, thousands of patients and their doctors will be weighing competing risks as a result of Guidant's decision last week, after urging by the Food and Drug Administration, to recall about 29,000 defibrillators that can potentially short-circuit when they are needed. Defibrillators emit an electrical jolt to restore rhythm to a chaotically beating heart.

Guidant Recalls Cardiac Defibrillators

June 17, 2005 (www.nytimes.com)

Friday's recall includes the Prizm 2 DR, the Contak Renewal and Contak Renewal 2, the Ventak Prizm AVT, Vitality AVT, Renewal 3 AVT and Renewal 4 AVT ICDs. The company said about 63,000 of the devices had been implanted, with nearly 50,000 still in use.

Flaw in Guidant Heart Devices

June 3, 2005 (iht.com)

Data provided by Guidant to a Minnesota hospital suggest the company continued to sell the potentially flawed devices for months after it had changed the way it made the device and had begun selling the new ones.

Heart Device Sold Despite Flaw, Data Shows

June 1, 2005 (nytimes.com)

Data provided by Guidant Corp to Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis suggest that Guidant continued to sell potentially flawed implantable heart defibrillators for months after it changed way it made device and had begun selling new ones; nine patients from May to September 2002 received implants of defibrillators that were made before April 2002; Guidant says it continued to sell units out of inventory--those made before fixes--because it believed that devices were reliable; company told doctors and patients for first time last week that defibrillator failed because of short-circuiting problem seen in 26 known cases.

For more information on your legal rights concerning the Guidant Defibrillator recall please contact the law offices of Weitz & Luxenberg by filling out this simple form, calling (800) 476-6070, or by e-mail at Clientrelations@weitzlux.com. It is free and there is no commitment.

Weitz & Luxenberg is no longer accepting Guidant Defibrillator cases.

see also:

Guidant Settlement Talks, 5.16.07 Breaking News: Boston Scientific in Guidant Lawsuit Settlement Talks
Company in talks toward settlement of 1,350 Guidant liability suits

FDA Pacemaker Recall FDA Warns of Dangers: Guidant Pacemaker
FDA Says Guidant's Pacemakers are Dangerous - Is Your Life in Danger?

News & Warnings Guidant Defibrillator - Public Commentary on Defibrillators and the Guidant Recall
Guidant defibrillator recall public comment. FREE lawsuit information