Zapper Newsletter/May 10th Update

May 13, 2006

Zap•Update

May 10th 2006

LATEST HEADLINES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Updated: May 10, 2006

Stats on Mortality Reduction After ICD Implants

Slow Music May Sooth Arrhythmic Hearts

Ivanhoe Series: High Tech Humans

Testimony in Faulty ICD Wrongful Death Case

Results of Study into Heart Device Failure Rates

CLICK HERE & SEND

to subscribe to free ZapUpdate EMail Service.

To stop delivery: CLICK HERE & SEND

No message necessary if your "Reply To" address is correct.

GO TO Zap • News

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Publisher's

Note from

Jon Duffey

Greetings everyone....

The defective ICD saga now playing out in court!

Just a few weeks ago, Boston Scientific officially took over as the new owner of Guidant Corporation - the cardiac device maker. Those implants are keeping many of us alive by correcting faulty heart rhythms when the body pump beats too slowly or too fast.. One of the things Boston Scientific acquired was a boat load (if not semi-trailer truck) full of lawsuits - filed by people implanted with faulty devices.. devices that had to be replaced because of manufacturing defects. And as we know, several people died becausea their devices failed to function when needed.

If you check the ZapNews page, you will read some of those cases are now in court and testimony has started in at least one of those cases. Those who opposed the legal action (and our acceptance of sponsorship from the leading firm representing harmed ICD recipients) drove a wedge in our support community - then departed on less than friendly terms. We will not revive that debate, but we are watching these court proceedings closely.

For the record, we never took an editorial stand advocating the courts leave the ICD maker bankrupt. The ONLY demands we have ever made was that Guidant management should be forced to respond promptly and quickly reveal (make public - at least to the doctors of heart patients implanted with their devices) when faults and other defects are discovered in their products. The company has repeatedly demonstrated it is unable or unwiling to do this on its own, so we must depend on the courts and government to force Guidant to adopt a more responsible behavior pattern. It is sad that only a substantial court judgement will give the company the incentive to be a better corporate citizen.

Right up until March 10th when Dr. Fred McCoy, President of Guidant Cardiac Rhythm Management took " early retirement, " he remained beligerant with members of the news media. As recorded on videotape screaming at my friend Steve , an investigative reporter for Detroit's WXYZ-TV7, he really believed Guidant had no responsibility to warn people they might die - because his company had knowingly shipped faulty devices. Now he and other Guidant execs will have to explain to federal investigators why they dumped so much of their Guidant stock on the eve of the faulty defibrillator story reaching the public.

We hope and pray: McCoy's departure and Boston Scientific taking the helm are signs that this era has come to an end. It is not an exageration when I say, " Our lives depend on it! "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I another bizarre corporate twist: I was held hostage at Mease Countryside Hospital in Clearwater, Florida a couple months ago. After checking into the Sleep Disorders Center, a technician noticed something " funky " in my EKG just after the testing began. I was rushed a few hundred feet away to the Emergency Room where I underwent several hours of blood tests, X-rays, and EKG's. THose did not show anything wrong. But the doctor on duty did not want to release me, until after my Guidant ICD could be interrogated.

Guess what? That did not happen for three (3!) days - so I sat there for half a week taking up a bed in CICU as my insurance company shelled out thousands of dollars for me to read and watch television! Turns out Bay Care, the megamedical company that operates seven hospitals in this part of Florida has signed an exclusivity deal with Medtronic - shutting out Guidant and other device makers. Medtronic is supposed to be on call to handle things such as in-hospital interrogations of non-Medtronic units as well and turning those devices off before surgery and back on after we come out of the recovery room.

I called Guidant, and pleaded for help. But because there is no longer a demand for their products around here... they had to lay off many of their field technicians and had no one they could send. And apparently no Medtronic techs were on duty or even on call in this area, so I waited and waited and waited until Guidant had a tech drive from Fort Myers to Clearwater to test my device - showing it, too, was just fine. The funky EKG that caused all the concern? Probably due to a loose sensor wire.

After that episode, a Guidant executive I've known for ten years called and chatted. He says a Bay Care Vice President and an Electrophysiologist in Clearwater ramrodded the excusivity deal through the approval process - after which both got six figure " consultation fees. " There's a hell of a story here, but sadly it's only one of a zillions reasons our health care costs are running out of control.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Needless to say, when my EP told me he wanted me to undergo one of the dreaded NIPS Tests... having it done at Mease Countryside was not an option. It meant driving an hour north to have the procedure done at the HCA Bayonet Point Medical Center in Hudson. That was done two weeks ago today. It was a flawless exercise and the hospital folks up there are among the most professional I have encountered in the dozen years since my heart attack.

A friend of mine, a producer at the NBC TV station in Tampa, went along to take pictures of the whole thing. He shot it using my HD videocam and got some great stuff. The worse part of the process was having my chest shaved for the external defibrillator adhesive pads. I did not like that at all. That's on tape. Also recorded: Me chanting (while unconscious) a tune sung by monks in a Tibetan monastery! I hope to get the tape edited into a mini-documentary next week and turn it into a video podcast that can be downloaded here. I will likely offer it for free, but hope people who download it will make a small donation

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the distant past, Zapper readers were often paralyzed by fearwhen told they were to undergo a NIPS test. But, when we recently asked, " What scares you THE MOST about having an ICD? " in a Zapper BBS poll... the NIPS test was only mentioned once! Of the 73 people who actually voted...

GETTING ZAPPED remains the top fear, earning 54% of the tallies.

DEVICE FAILURE came in second with 27%

OTHER was the third with 15% of the votes..

NIPS test tied for fourth with ALTERING MY LIFESTYLE

Comments by OTHER voters provides some interesting insights. Those choosing that option mentioned magnests, driving, kids getting implanted, passing out while doing something needing a high level of attention and hurting someone, and getting zapped in public. Thanks to ALL who took the time to take part in the unscientific survey. With more than 1400 reading the postings... I hope more folks will come back and vote.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out the Zap•News page when you get a chance. Finally got the time to update that part of the site and there's a lot of new and valuable information - a lot of new research and trreatment options are mentioned. My friends at Ivanhoe Broadcast News have a fantastic series available right now: High Tech Humans. Part 1 should hook all of us... Merging Man and Machines.

As tempearatures heat up around the northern hemisphere, be sure to watch your fluids - replacing water lost by sweat (and because of our wonderful diuretics) and don't let your electrolytes get out of whack. That is one of the BIG reasons we suffer bouts of arrhythmia and end up getting a dose of Zapworthy therapy. Use common sense when it gets hot.

Finally, please keep our Connecticut friends and Gail in your prayers. They are facing a tough row to hoe as doctors are unable to get stabilized with his various health challenges. They hint that is not long for this world. So please send Gail and all the positive energy you can offer.

Until next time.. stay well and Zap Free!

Jon Duffey

Publisher

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ZAPPER DIRECTORY

FRONT

PAGE

Sign In

Zapper Newsletter/May 10th Update

Recommended Posts

Guest guest

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Join the conversation

Activity