I, TBTAM the Marvelous, lowly disciple of Carnac the Magnificent, did not predict this…
In the last 72 hours, my previous post outlining My Predictions for the Medtronic Implantable Defibrillator suddenly began getting a lot of visitors, most coming from a google search on the term “sue Medtronics.”
Could this be the result of Medtronics recent recall on their defibrillator leads? Is it coincidental that Medtronics also appears to have pulled its DTC campaign for cardiac defibrillators?
I wonder how bad it really is? What happens, for instance, when I google the term “Medtronics”?
Uh, Oh. Not good. Three lawyer ads right at the top. And it looks as though like the first lawsuit has already been filed.
That’s too bad for Medtronics. Hopefully their DTC campaign netted enough profit to pay their lawyers.
But TBTAM the Magnificent is disturbed that she did not predict this unforseen product recall and its consequences. It could be that the radio signals emanating from my implantable cardiac defibrillator are intercepting the flow of predictive powers which comes from the Universe through my turban.
I think it’s time to call my lawyer…
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For a much more intelligent discussion of the Medtronic product recall, and advice on what to do if you have one of the recalled leads, see Dr Wes’s Blog.
Like your blog, doc.
But…
Ed McMahon: E-M-A-N-A-T-I-N-G
Carnac: How does the blog that ate Manhattan not spell “emanating?”
Eggplant – Apparently my ICD is also interfering with spellchecker…I’ve fixed the error and am updating my lawyer. Thanks! 🙂
Public Citizen used Medtronic’s DTC ad to skewer both Medtronic and the FDA:
“As of January, Medtronic and the FDA already were aware of an escalating number of reports of injury in patients with this Fidelis lead. By Jan. 10, the cumulative number of injury reports associated with this lead reported to the FDA database was 599, including 204 cases in which patients got inappropriate electric shocks from their defective defibrillators. (See table below.) Despite this strong warning signal about these defective components, in the same month, January, Medtronic launched a massive direct-to-consumer advertising campaign to lure patients to seek advice from their doctors as to whether they could benefit from having a defibrillator implanted.
The $100 million Medtronic ad campaign, dubbed “What’s Inside,” including a commercial in which a soft voice promises viewers that inside the device, they’ll find “10,000 more kisses … 200 more football wins,” saying it will “always be there for you – close to your heart with the power to restart it in case of sudden cardiac arrest.” The ad was clearly trying to frighten people, including many who would not be candidates for such devices. The goal? Turn that fear into a “let’s not take a chance” mentality that results in more consumers, inadequately informed by the ad, asking their doctors for the devices. Why did the FDA, aware of the rising toll of injuries from Medtronic defibrillators, not stop this advertising campaign?”
The Great and Magnificent TBTAM knew that DTC stuff could come back to bite these guys… Certainly, drug and device manufacturers should take note.
If you’re going to attack a company, you should at least know how to spell it correctly. The name is MEDTRONIC, not Medtronics. For better or worse, it’s written all over the news. You would think you could figure out how to spell it for yourself.
Anonymous – you are correct, My mistake.