Medtronic Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first cardiac implantable defibrillator (ICD) over 10 years ago. ICDs are designed to shock a heart with an abnormal beat back to a normal rhythm, but defects have caused some devices to malfunction, leading to injuries and even deaths.

Medtronic, located right here in our backyard in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is one of the largest medical device manufacturers in the world. On April 4, 2004, Medtronic initiated a recall of its Micro Jewel II, Model 7223 CX and GEM DR, Model 7171 Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs).

On February 2, 2005, Medtronic began advising doctors that some of its ICDs may experience battery shorting problems. The next day, Medtronic voluntarily advised doctors about a battery shorting problem affecting the following models: Marquis VR, Model 7230; Marquis DR, Model 7274; Maximo VR, Model 7232; Maximo DR Model 7278; InSync Marquis Model 7277; InSync II Marquis Model 7289; and InSync III Model 7279.

Medtronic initiated the recall because of premature battery depletion which can cause short circuiting and failure of the device when an arrhythmic event occurs. Medtronic identified 9 of over 87,000 ICD's with a battery design showing shorting mechanism. In total, Medtronic has recalled about 65,000 devices.

Each Medtronic ICD has a unique serial number. According to Medtronic, ICDs manufactured between April, 2001 and December, 2003 could be affected by the premature battery depletion. To find out if your serial number is recalled, contact one of our attorneys at Goldenberg & Johnson toll free at (800) 279-6386.

Individuals who have a recalled device may be able to file a lawsuit against Medtronic. If you or a loved one has been affected by a Medtronic ICD, the attorneys at Goldenberg & Johnson can answer any questions and discuss your potential case. You can speak to one of our attorneys by calling toll free (800) 279-6386.