Faulty Cable Affects Thousands Of Heart Patients

-KGTV

05/02/2009 - SAN DIEGO -- A heart device that has been pulled off the market can still be found inside the bodies of thousands of people, including at least one San Diegan.

A cardiac arrest left Frank Foster fighting for his life.

"I got up and went to the bathroom one morning, at 4:30 in the morning, made it back to the bedroom door and fell down dead," said Foster.

Foster survived and received an internal defibrillator in 2002.

Seven years later, a cable that connects the device to the heart failed.

"I had a misfire; I knew there was something wrong," said Foster.

He is one of more than 150,000 people with a faulty cable.

Alvarado Hospital cardiologist Dr. Peter Belott specializes in removing the cable. He said patients do not have an easy decision to make, they have to choose to take it out and risk complications in surgery, or keep the cable and risk a malfunction.

"A cable connects the defibrillator to the heart. Putting them in is easy but trying to remove them is a different story," said Belott.

Foster decided to go through with the surgery; however, the surgery is not simple.

"It's a high-risk and complex procedure," said Belott.

A laser cable is used to deliver laser energy in order to remove the faulty cable from the heart.

Belott said leaving the device in could be deadly.

The cable, made by Medtronic, has caused problems in 5 percent of patients. According to the company, the faulty wire might already be responsible for 13 deaths.

"Over time, the cable grows into the vessels, the veins and the heart itself," said Belott.

Patients like Foster cannot sue the company because the law gives manufacturers immunity for devices approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Foster said he's just happy to be alive.

Ennis & Ennis, P.A. is representing individuals that have been harmed by defective medical devices such as the Medtronic defibrillator and pacemaker. If you or a loved one have suffered as a result of a defective Medtronic pacemaker or defibrillator or if you need more information about the Medtronic recall or class action lawsuit click here for a free, confidential case evaluation .