Medtronic Pacemaker Problems: Kappa and Sigma Pacemaker Failures
Approximately 37,000 Medtronic pacemakers that are implanted in patients may contain a wiring defect that could cause them to malfunction and fail. The product liability lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. currently represent clients who are pursuing lawsuits against Medtronic over their faulty defibrillator leads that were recalled in 2007, and potential Medtronic pacemaker lawsuits are being reviewed as a result of these new problems.
Medtronic issued a warning to doctors after receiving reports of at least two patient deaths.
Approximately 2% of all Medtronic Kappa 600, 7000 and 900 series pacemakers and Medtronic Sigma 100, 200 and 300 series pacemakers could be defective and experience a problem with the internal circuitry.
Wires that connect the electronic circuit to other components in the pacemaker, such as the battery or connector, could separate resulting in potential loss of rate response, premature battery failure, loss of telemetry or no output. This could cause return of bradycardia symptoms or potentially result in death or serious injury.
Medtronic has notified doctors that there is no testing that can predict whether one of their pacemakers may fail and no device re-programming can reduce the risk.
Symptoms of lightheadedness or fainting could be potential signs of a Medtronic pacemaker malfunction, and patients have been urged to seek immediate medical attention if they experience any problems.
The Medtronic Sigma and Kappa pacemakers were primarily manufactured between November 2000 and November 2002 and have an estimated average remaining life of between 1.2 years and 3.8 years depending on the model.
MEDTRONIC PACEMAKER LAWSUIT
Registered patients with the potentially defective Medtronic pacemakers will be notified by letter dated May 27, 2009. To determine if a specific serial number for a Sigma or Kappa pacemaker is impacted by these problems visit KappaSigmaSNList.medtronic.com.
If you, a friend or family member have one of the potentially defective pacemakers, contact our lawyers to request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
The City has an employee that has a permanent pacemaker. What are the conerns/effects of having an employee with a pacemaker in a workplace where there is frequent exposure to electromagnetic fields?
This gentleman was declined Long Term Disability benefits through our insurance carrier much to our suprise. The City is not only concerned with this individuals health but also has an obligation to protect the City from a liability point of view.
I asked the nurse to give me the model number of the Medtronic pacemaker that would be used on me in January. She said that the decision is made at the time of the operation. How can this be true?