On October 14, 2007, Medtronic Inc. issued a recall for the Sprint Fidelis lead wire—a type of electrical wire used in its defibrillators—after learning that the product could be at an increased risk of malfunction compared with other Medtronic leads.

Patients who experience defibrillator wire problems with the Sprint Fidelis leads could suffer repeated, unnecessary shocks to their heart or have their defibrillators fail to work during a heart attack.

More than 250,000 patients are currently using defibrillators with the Sprint Fidelis lead wire. These wires connect the defibrillator to the heart in order to deliver a life-saving jolt of electricity in the event that the heart beats irregularly, such as during a heart attack.

However, Medtronic says that the Sprint Fidelis leads are more than twice as likely to malfunction as other lead wires manufactured by the company.

Approximately 2.3% of the Sprint Fidelis leads will fail within 30 months after they are implanted, compared with only 0.9% with another type, the company says.

Medtronic says that it has learned of at least five deaths among patients who experienced problems with their Sprint Fidelis leads. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration has received at least 1,600 reports of injury or malfunction from patients who experienced problems with these Medtronic defibrillator wires.

Approximately one-third of these patients experienced repeated, painful shocks to the heart due to fractures in their Sprint Fidelis leads.

Several patients who were injured after experiencing problems with their Medtronic defibrillator wires have filed lawsuits against the company.

Some experts believe that the number of Medtronic lawsuits over the Sprint Fidelis lead wire recall may be even greater than the 1,000 that have already been filed against the company over a 2005 defibrillator recall due to battery problems.

If you have been injured due to problems with the Sprint Fidelis leads used in some Medtronic defibrillators, contact the law office of Sam Levine to learn more about your legal rights. You can reach us by calling toll-free at (888) 404-LAWYER or by filling out our online contact form.