Jay Trucks and Associates Legal Blog

A new study published by two heart surgeons working at the Minneapolis Heart Institute and the Mayo Clinic has found evidence of a greater failure rate in Medtronic’s Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads than the company had previously acknowledged.

More than 235,000 Sprint Fidelis leads were installed in patients before Medtronic recalled the defective product in 2007. The leads were prone to fracturing, which led to some patients receiving needless shocks at inappropriate times, while other patients failed to receive a necessary shock to save their lives.

According to Medtronic, the Sprint Fidelis lead still worked in 95% of patients three years after it was installed. However, this new Mayo Clinic study, which evaluated over 3,000 patients, indicates that only 88% of patients had properly functioning leads three years after installation.

Of the 3,000 patients evaluated in this study, 848 had received Sprint Fidelis leads. The annual failure rate for patients with Sprint Fidelis leads was 3.75%, while patients with other defibrillator leads only experienced a 0.6% failure rate.

Patients who have received a Sprint Fidelis lead face a difficult dilemma, since the surgery to remove the lead is extremely risky and may result in death. If you have a Sprint Fidelis lead connected to your defibrillator, you should consult your heart surgeon at once to find out if you need to have the lead replaced.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or a wrongful death as a result of a defective Medtronic Sprint Fidelis lead, the product liability attorneys at Jay Trucks & Associates can help you receive the compensation you deserve. Please contact our Flint, Michigan defective product lawyers today to schedule a consultation.