Medical Device Cases |
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Latest News on Lawsuits Involving Injuries from Defective Medical Devices |
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Cypher and Taxus Stents |
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October 24, 2006—Data presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference revealed that drug-coated stents create a higher risk of blood clots when compared to traditional metal stents. The researchers examined approximately 1,800 patients implanted with the Boston Scientific Taxus Stent and another 3,500 patients implanted with Johnson & Johnson's Cypher Stent. The data revealed that the Taxus Stent caused a 0.4 percent risk of blood clot, compared to a 0.6 percent risk with the Cypher stent. Researchers noted that stent-related blood clots have a 70 percent chance of causing a major heart attack or death. |
Medtronic Lawsuit |
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October 15, 2007—Medtronic announced a recall of its Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads after numerous reports of device failures leading to serious injuries and at least five deaths. An estimated 235,000 people have been implanted with the Medtronic Sprint Fidelis leads. Leads are used to link a defibrillator or pacemaker to the patient's heart. Medtronic reports that the device can fracture after implantation, delivering a painful and potentially deadly electrical jolt to the patient. |
Guidant Recall |
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August 31, 2005—Guidant Corporation has announced the recall of additional pacemaker models, including the Insignia and Nexus devices. This announcement continues a long line of recalls for the heart device manufacturer. Since June 2005, the company has recalled approximately 88,000 heart defibrillators and issued warnings on 28,000 pacemakers. Guidant also notified doctors that the failure rate of the Contak Renewal and Contak Renewal 2 was nearly triple its earlier estimates. |
Medical Device Cases |