Guidant Defibrillator Attorneys

Guidant Halts Use Of Defibrillators

Medical device maker Guidant Corporation has announced a series of recalls culminating in a September 22, 2005 recall, recalling nearly 100,000 implanted defibrillators and pacemakers because of potential electrical malfunctions. The defect essentially places patients at risk as a result of an internal short circuit which comes without warning and can either result in a failure to deliver a shock to the heart when needed or, deliver a shock to the heart when not needed. This, obviously, can lead to serious life threatening consequences and events.

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The following models are the devices affected by the recall:

• Guidant Pulsar models 0470, 0870, 0970, 0972, 1172 and 1272 manufactured between 11/25/1997 and 10/26/2000.
• Guidant Pulsar Max models 1170, 1171 and 1270 manufactured between 11/25/1997 and 10/26/2000.
• Guidant Pulsar Max II models 1180, 1181 and 1280 manufactured between 11/25/1997 and 10/26/2000.
• Guidant Discovery models 1174, 1175, 1273, 1274 and 1275 manufactured between 11/25/1997 and 10/26/2000.
• Guidant Discovery II models 0481, 0981, 1184, 1186, 1187, 1283, 1284, 1285 and 1286 manufactured between 11/25/1997 and 10/26/2000.
• Guidant Meridian models 0476, 0976, 1176 and 1276 manufactured between 11/25/1997 and 10/26/2000.
• Guidant Contak TR model 1241 manufactured between 11/25/1997 and 10/26/2000.
• Guidant Virtus Plus II models 1380 and 1480 manufactured between 11/25/1997 and 10/26/2000.
• Guidant Intelis II models 1483, 1484, 1485, 1384, 1385, 1349 and 1499 manufactured between 11/25/1997 and 10/26/2000.
• Guidant Renewal 3 AVT, Renewal 4 AVT and additional product groups.
• Guidant Prizm 2 DR model 1861 (1860?) manufactured on or before April 16, 2002.
• Guidant Contak Renewal and Contak Renewal 2 models H135 and H155 manufactured on or before August 26, 2004.
• Guidant Ventak Prizm AVT model 1900.
• Guidant Vitality AVT models A135 and A155.
• Guidant Renewal RF models H230, H235 and H239.
• Guidant Renewal AVT, all models.
• Guidant Contak Renewal 3 & Contak Renewal 4 models H170, H173, H175, H177, H179, H190, H195, H197 and H199.
• Guidant Renewal 3 AVT & Renewal 4 AVT models M150, M155, M157, M159, M170, M175, M177 and M179.
• Medtronic Marquis VR model 7230, batteries manufactured before December 2003.
• Medtronic Marquis DR model 7247, batteries manufactured before December 2003.
• Medtronic Maximo VR model 7232, batteries manufactured before December 2003.
• Medtronic Maximo DR model 7278, batteries manufactured before December 2003.
• Medtronic InSync Marquis model 7277, batteries manufactured before December 2003.
• Medtronic InSync II Marquis model 7289, batteries manufactured before December 2003.
• Medtronic InSync III Marquis model 7279, batteries manufactured before December 2003.
• Medtronic InSync III Protect model 7285, batteries manufactured before December 2003.
• Medtronic Micro Jewell II model 7223Cx.
• Medtronic GEM DR model 7271.
• Medtronic Sigma pacemakers
• St Jude Atlas.
• St Jude Epic.
• St Jude Epic DR/HF models V-233, V-337 and V-338.
• St Jude Epic Plus DR/VR/HF models V-236, V-239, V-196, V-239T, V-196T and V-350.
• St Jude Atlas DR model V242.
• St Jude Atlas Plus DR/VR/HF models V-243, V-193C, V-340, V-341 and V-343.
• Ventak Prizm 2 VR/DR, models 1860 and 1861.
• Ventak Prizm VR/DR, models 1850, 1851, 1855 and 1856.
• Ventak Prizm VR/DR HE, models 1852 and 1853.
• Ventak Mini IV, models 1790, 1793 and 1796.
• Ventak Mini III HE, model 1789.

Advances in science and technology have led to the creation of medical devices that allow patients to live a longer, more comfortable life. Unfortunately, there are flaws in manufacture and operation in some of these devices which lead to injury and death. The Guidant Corporation recently recalled several models of its implanted defibrillators which affects over 50,000 implant victims.

Companies that manufacture or sell products must be held accountable for their actions including the sale of defective products. The Law Offices of Nadrich & Cohen is a national products liability law firm with extensive experience fighting large corporations who have unnecessarily caused injuries and deaths to patients and victims. Our team of expert product liability lawyers are investigating Guidant Defibrillators which either failed when needed or unnecessarily delivered an electric shock to the heart due to an internal short circuit. We are aggressively representing Guidant Defibrillator victims.

If you or a loved one currently has a Guidant Defibrillator implant, please immediately contact a defective medical device attorney at the Law Offices of Nadrich & Cohen for a free case review. We are actively investigating many Guidant Defibrillator cases throughout the country. Our experienced injury attorneys have recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of injured clients. Please allow our team of medical device defective product lawyers help you recover damages for the pain and suffering and injury caused by a Guidant defective Defibrillator. It would be an honor for us to represent a Guidant victim.

A defibrillator is a device that delivers an electrical shock to the heart to stop or correct an irregular heart beat or arrhythmia. While defibrillators were first used externally in the form of paddles placed on the chest to shock the heart, advances in technology have lead to the creation of defibrillator implants that are implanted inside the chests of patients. These devices will recognize a problem with the hearts' rhythm and shock the heart back to a regular beat.

Several models of defibrillators made by Guidant Corp. contain flaws that could cause serious injury and death. One defect is said to be in a magnetic switch that may get stuck in "off" mode that can prevent the device from operating when needed. In some cases, the patients can even hear an audible beeping noise indicating that the device is malfunctioning. Other problems have included manufacturing flaws and the memory glitch.

The defective defibrillators in question are used to treat congestive heart failure. Recent research has shown that these implanted devices may be beneficial to patients with this condition, making this cutting edge technology highly sought after by heart patients and doctors. The defibrillators will transmit an electrical shock to restart a heart in arrest, but can also send continuous electrical currents to generate a more coordinated heart beat.

Guidant Corporation is the maker of various medical devices and is one of three leading companies that manufactures and sells implanted defibrillators. Guidant, in 2004, reported sales of $1.8 billion for its implanted defibrillators. The company is a leader in sales of congestive heart failure defibrillators.

Guidant has issued multiple specific warnings about the defective defibrillators. The company has halted allowing doctors to implant their defibrillators until further research and proper changes can be made. If you or a loved one has a Guidant Defibrillator implanted, you should consult your doctor immediately and contact our law firm. We are investigating Guidant Defibrillator failure cases throughout the country.

Initial investigation into the Guidant Defibrillator problem has found that the company may have withheld important safety information from patients and doctors regarding the safety and efficacy of the defibrillator implant. There have been multiple cases of the defibrillator malfunctioning. That number can be expected to rise with the public recall announcements. The FDA believes that 50,000 patients worldwide have been implanted with one of the Guidant Defibrillators which is the subject of the recalls. This places defibrillator implant victims at risk for serious and possible fatal medical problems.

If you or a loved one have suffered injuries or have legal concerns related to these products, please immediately contact us at (800) 718-4658. You may be legally entitled to recover medical expenses, lost earnings, as well as compensation for physical pain and suffering, mental anguish and physical impairment. For persons who have died, their surviving spouse or other family members often can bring a wrongful death action. The Law Offices of Nadrich & Cohen are actively investigating defibrillator cases throughout the country.

We work on a contingency basis only. A contingency fee means we do not charge for our services unless we obtain a recovery for our clients. If we do not obtain a recovery, our clients owe us nothing.

Our experienced attorneys have recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of our injured clients. Please allow our team of defective product liability lawyers help you for the pain, suffering, and injuries caused by a Guidant defective Defibrillator.

Guidant has also faced recalls for its Ancure Endograph System, an endovascular shaft device used to repair abdominal aneurysms.

Guidant Defibrillator Recall In The News

Boston Scientific Warns of Faulty Defibrillators

UPDATE: May 16, 2006, LA Times

Boston Scientific Corp. said Monday that it had warned physicians that an additional 996 defibrillators made by its Guidant unit might quit prematurely, which would leave heart failure patients unprotected from sudden cardiac arrest...

Read the full report.

Guidant VENTAK PRIZM 2 DR and CONTAK RENEWAL Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

UPDATE: December 29, 2005, FDA MEDWATCH

FDA issued an update to the July and October, 2005, Preliminary Public Health Notification. The updated PPHN provides numbers of deaths and serious injuries for the three devices as of December 12, 2005. FDA's recommendations have not changed.

Read the full report.

Panel Investigates Whether Guidant Violated Agreement

By BARRY MEIER, New York Times, September 23, 2005

Senator Charles E. Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, notified the Guidant Corporation yesterday that his committee was investigating whether the company, which makes medical devices, had violated a 2003 agreement that required it to alert the government to product problems.

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FDA Issues Nationwide Notification of Recall of Certain Guidant Implantable Defibrillators and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillators

June 17, 2005 - FDA is notifying health care providers and patients that the Guidant Corporation is recalling certain of its implantable defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators. These devices can develop an internal short circuit without warning, resulting in failure to deliver a shock when needed.

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Guidant Initiates Worldwide Physician Communications Regarding Important Safety Information and Corrective Action about Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Indianapolis, Ind. -- June 24, 2005 -- Guidant Corporation (NYSE: GDT) said today it is voluntarily advising physicians about important safety information regarding certain devices. Guidant apprised FDA of this action, and FDA may classify this action as a recall. At this time, Guidant is in the very early stages of a diligent evaluation of the component failure described below. Guidant will continue its evaluation and communicate further as more information is learned. As a precautionary measure, physicians should discontinue implants of these devices pending further notice. This communication advises physicians and their patients of safety information and is intended to limit adverse events. Physicians should use this information to decide how best to treat their patients.

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Guidant Initiates Worldwide Physician Communications Regarding Important Safety Information and Corrective Action about Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators

Indianapolis, Ind. - June 17, 2005 - Guidant Corporation (NYSE: GDT) said today it is voluntarily advising physicians about important safety information regarding certain devices. Guidant has apprised FDA of these actions, and FDA has indicated that it will classify them as recalls. These communications advise physicians and their patients of safety information and are intended to limit adverse events. Physicians should use this information to decide how best to treat their patients.

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Guidant recalling 50,000 heart defibrillators

INDIANAPOLIS - Guidant Corp. on Friday voluntarily recalled nearly 50,000 of its cardiac defibrillators implanted in patients worldwide because of potential malfunctions in the devices. Indianapolis-based Guidant said it was advising physicians about the safety of several defibrillator models, which have failed at least 45 times and have caused at least two deaths through May 30. The company has offered to replace some of the devices, but has not said that replacement of any is necessary.

Read the story.

If you or a loved one is a patient with a failed Guidant defibrillator, contact a product liability lawyer at the reputable Law Offices of Nadrich & Cohen today. We are actively seeking defibrillator cases for patients who have been injured or killed by a defective model. Our experienced injury attorneys have recovered millions for our injured clients. Let our team of defective product lawyers help you recover damages for the suffering and injury caused by your defective defibrillator.

Guidant has also faced recalls for the Ancure Aortoillac System, an endovascular shaft device used to repair abdominal aneurysm. Click here to learn more about this defective device and your rights as a victim.

For more information about defective Guidant defibrillators please click here to visit our Guidant defibrillator website.