Leon,
When did you get your ICD? Is it the Marquis model? I'm going to call Medtronic tomorrow and find out about my specific model and ask them about my battery running down in a matter of 7 mos, w/out it firing or anything.
Heather
I miss living in Europe, specifically Munich, GermanyI like to think out loud. Some of my ruminations can be found at beinganddoing.wordpress.com. I love to cook and eat, but hate to clean up. I tend to be confident in my opinions, but will change when presented with a compelling enough reason/argument.
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Now What
I found this article released today. Interestingly enough my ICD falls in the catagory. I'll have to ask my EP guy about it I guess.
Here's hoping Duracell holds up.
Peace,
Leon
Medtronic to Issue ICD Warning to Doctors
Reuters
Feb 11, 2005 — By Julie Steenhuysen and Kim Dixon
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Medical device maker Medtronic Inc. on Friday said it has begun warning doctors about some faulty batteries installed in a line of its implantable heart defibrillators.
The problem involves batteries in its Marquis line of implantable cardioverter defibrillators or ICDs made before December 2003, Marshall Stanton, medical director of Medtronic's cardiac rhythm management unit, told Reuters.
ICDs are pager-sized devices designed to shock a dangerous heartbeat back into normal rhythm.
Stanton said the battery problems occurred in only nine patients out of 87,000 worldwide. He said Medtronic will send out "Dear Doctor" letters giving details of the problem to physicians who have implanted the devices.
ICD batteries typically last for several years. The Medtronic problem involves batteries that can lose all power in just a matter of days.
Medtronic said no patients have been harmed by the battery problem. The company reported all nine events to U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Stanton said.
The problem does not involve Medtronic's Intrinsic and Sentry ICD lines, or any Marquis ICD made after December 2003.
Earlier Friday, JP Morgan analyst Michael Weinstein said in an analyst note the company had begun calling doctors to warn them of the problem.
Weinstein characterized the letter as a "nonevent."
Marc Silver, a cardiologist in Raleigh, North Carolina, who was informed of the battery problem, said it will require vigilance.
"It causes a lot of extra work and worry for physicians and the patients. I don't think it will harm anybody physically, but it is making for a lot of work," said Silver, who has 39 patients with the Marquis devices.
Silver said a fully depleted battery could put patients at risk. "Every patient is either getting a new battery or going on a close surveillance program," he said.
Of the 400,000 patients in the world with ICDs, about 250,000 have devices made by Medtronic.
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