Could your pacemaker involve legal trouble?

Posted in Firm News, Medical Malpractice on May 21, 2019

If you have experienced certain heart problems, your doctor may have suggested the use of a pacemakers. And although there may be other options available for you at this time, getting one may be necessary in the future.

Designed to regulate your heart’s rhythm, a pacemaker could help prevent your heart from beating irregularly, too fast or too slow. And through regulating your heartbeat, a pacemaker could give you some relief from fatigue, shortness of breath or fainting. But what happens when the device designed to regulate your heartbeat fails?

Medtronic’s pacemakers may lose their battery charge

Although Medtronic designs their pacemakers to last a minimum of six years on their lithium-ion batteries, reports suggest that some batteries are running out prematurely due to electrical shorts caused by a crack in the device.

If you have an implanted device for regulating your heartbeat, there are some things you can do to be sure it is working correctly. You may want to:

• Ask your provider about the recall and whether it applies to your device
• Monitor your device according to the instructions your provider gave you
• Seek medical attention if you feel faint, dizzy, have pain in your chest or experience shortness of breath

What should you do if you question whether the recall applies to you?

The Food and Drug Administration is working with Medtronic to monitor the affected pacemakers.

If you have one of the company’s devices, you can learn more about Medtronic’s recent recalls to see whether they may affect you. And if you have trouble with the quality of your pacemaker, you have every right to explore your options.