medtronic

MEDTRONICS SPINAL STIMULATORI had the MEDTRONICS pain stimulator installed in 1999, and within 2 yrs I needed to have the wires replaced. Since that time & until the present the wiring for my unit failed a total of six times. Each time required a surgery & the time off from work has caused severe financial hardship.
 One of the ways I could tell the leads(wires) were failing was that I would receive shocks in the area that they joined together even when the unit was turned off. Several times this caused me to fall down from the sudden shock, once I nearly fell down a flight of stairs.
 This all came to a head last year June 2008 when once again my doctor had to go back in to replace failed leads, about 6 weeks after the operation I developed a infection and they went back in & cleaned out the sight. The infectious disease Dr. put a PIC line in my right arm that went all the way in the vena cavae of my heart.   In September they removed the PIC line and then after about 4 weeks the infection came back this went on for the rest of the year until November when my doctor took all the equipment out of my back in a last ditch effort to clear up the infection. My doctor also suggested that I go with a different company for my Spinal Cord Stimulator due to MEDTRONICS problems with their 2 lead system. In January of this year my doctor installed a ANS unit which has a single lead is working fine so far.
  I feel that because of a design flaw in the MEDTRONIC leads I had to undergo numerous unnecessary surgeries to replace a faulty product that should never have been used. I also believe I wouldn't have gotten that infection if the joint in the MEDTRONIC leads hadn't failed & filled up with fluid. I believe I deserve compensation for my lost work time as well as pain & suffering. I also believe my husband should be entitled to something for loss of services as he had to do all the cooking, cleaning, & household chores I would have been doing if not for being incapacitated during my recovery times.
 I have discussed suing MEDTRONIC with my doctor & he has agreed to be a "WITNESS OF FACT" for me, I'm sure there are other doctors who would testify to the problems MEDTRONIC leads have caused their patients. I also heard that MEDTRONIC has stopped using their 2 lead system.......kinda makes you wonder?