BOSTON SCIENTIFIC HALTS PRODUCTION

First let me thank "chaker, mrroerockhead, mjmellon and Blessed One" for your return comments. I will be in touch with all of you shortly. BUT..last nite I was reading a small newspaper "AM NEW YORK" and came across an article that said that Boston Scientific freezes sales on it's defibrillator line. Something to do with not advising regulators of changes in production of their top sellers.

I'm not a whiz kid on investigatory work on this computer so I would appreciate if you could clue me in on how you obtained these websites in order to download the reports you sent me. I am really concerned that my cardiologist did not do much if any investigatory work regarding this device and also that my EP did not point out any problems that were current in the device. That is why I want all the data I can get regarding this matter before I start raising hell. I really don't cae to be an accident waiting to happen.

Again, thanks for your help and if I should happen to come across any data if interest I will surely pass it along..

3 Comments

BS ICDs

by cbaker - 2010-03-17 02:03:06

fisherman, right now I think all you need to do is google "Boston Scientific halts sales" and you'll find a million articles (try the "news" search as well).

I wouldn't necessarily raise hell if I were you (yet). I only say this because one of the unfortunate aspects of ICD life is that our lives are better if our EPs and cardios *like* us. (Not fair, but realistic.) That's not to say that you shouldn't make them aware that you're concerned -- you should. Aren't you due for a checkup soon in any case, since you were implanted recently? Take some articles along, and let them know that NATURALLY you are wondering why they hadn't discussed the issue with you. Tell them you'd like for them to be your trusted source of information rather than CNN, etc., and ask them to discuss the issue with you.

That's my (free, and worth every penny, or not) perspective. Good luck!

It was just a little piece of paper, but people died

by ted - 2010-03-17 08:03:25

Oh, poor Guidant/Boston Scientific. It was just a little piece of paper they "forgot" to file. Remember when their defective ICD"s were killing people and Guidant also failed to file reports with the FDA? Why is it that if you and I have to file tax returns every year but this multi-billion dollar company just can't seem to remember to file required papers with the FDA. Would you trust such a bunch of incompetents with your life?? Don't trust Guidant.-

middle ground?

by cbaker - 2010-03-17 11:03:42

There are currently two controversies that involve BS ICDs: one is the question of sub-pec / sub-cu ICD header bonds, and the second is the "paperwork" issue. To me, it doesn't seem likely that BS would have gone to the extent of recalling inventory (which it has) if the whole thing were *completely* no biggie. So, while flamingo is probably right that patient safety is probably not at stake, you have every right (and probably the obligation to yourself) to ask your doc about the issue when you go in. And flamingo, I send out form letters to clients all the time about matters far less close to people's hearts (ha ha) than this, so I don't see why at least a form letter to patients is so unrealistic to expect given the history of these devices. But it's good to have different opinions! Cheers to all of us.

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