brand ratings

I am looking for good data on the quality of various brands especially Medtronic,biotronik and St. Jude.
Have found almost nothing on the internet.

3 Comments

quality

by Tracey_E - 2015-07-06 08:07:52

Every medical device is subject to rigorous testing and regulation, there is no bad quality and recalls are very rare. Some devices might have features that make one more appropriate for you over another. Some drs have relationships with the rep which makes that a better choice for you. You may live in an area where one of the smaller companies doesn't have much representation, which would make that a bad choice for you even if the device itself is excellent. Most of us go with what our dr recommends.

best choice?

by knb123 - 2015-07-06 10:07:20

Even if you could accomplish this PM research, would you then search for an EP who is willing to implant the brand you prefer?

My PM implant was an emergency. The most I could do was inquire which brand of PM I would be receiving. The resident told me my EP likes to work with Boston Scientific and St. Jude Medical. As it turned out, he implanted the latter. It wasn't up to me to choose. My feeling is, if you are confident in the EP who's doing the work, you have to trust that he/she also has good reasons for liking the brand(s) he/she likes.

TraceyE is right: in the US, devices are subject to rigorous oversight. The more important question is, how many implants has your EP performed?

I love me some Biotronic

by Cspot - 2015-07-11 12:07:32

Of course, it was an emergency for mine, also and I didnt even have time to find out the brand until afterward, but by golly, those Germans are known for their engineering! This jewel cost more than the brand new Lexus hybrid sitting out in the driveway, and is purportedly just as reliable, if not more so. I like mine, but I didnt do a whole lot of comparison shopping at the time. When the electrician swoops in, takes your lunch and says, lets go, you go.

You know you're wired when...

Your old device becomes a paper weight for your desk.

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I, too, am feeling tons better since my implant.