Medical Devices
Patients Struggle To Get Crucial Diabetic Supplies
By Bram Sable-Smith, NPR Shots, Sep 19, 2019. In the first three months after getting his Dexcom continuous glucose monitor, Ric Peralta managed to reduce his average blood sugar level by three percentage points. “It took… Read More
Hospitals Should Replace Infection-Prone Scopes With Safer Models, F.D.A. Says
By Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times. Companies that make reusable, snakelike cameras to examine patients internally should begin making disposable versions, because the current models cannot be properly sterilized and have spread infections… Read More
Insulin Pumps Have Most Reported Problems in FDA Database
By Holbrook Mohr And Mitch Weiss, Medical Press. This Nov. 14, 2018 photo taken in Jackson, Miss., shows the Medtronic Paradigm REAL-Time Revel insulin pump of Polly Varnado’s daughter. Medical device manufacturers and experts say… Read More
Breast Implants Linked to Rare Cancer Are Recalled Worldwide
By Denise Grady, The New York Times. Textured breast implants made by Allergan that have been linked to an unusual cancer are being recalled in the United States at the request of the Food and… Read More
Widespread Harm From Faulty Heart Device Kept Secret by FDA
By Christina Jewett, for Kaiser Health News. Faced with the possibility that a bout of abnormal heartbeats could end his life, in 2006, Dr. Marc Sicklick had a small device implanted in his chest that… Read More
FDA Hides Information on Dangerous Devices From Patients and Doctors
By Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News. The Food and Drug Administration has let medical device companies file reports of injuries and malfunctions outside a widely scrutinized public database, which leave doctors and medical sleuths in… Read More
FDA Finally Orders Halt to Sales of Vaginal Mesh Used in Pelvic Procedures
By Laurie McGinley, The Washington Post. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday ordered manufacturers of surgical mesh used for repairing a condition called pelvic organ prolapse to immediately stop selling their products, the latest turn in… Read More
The Da Vinci Surgical Robot: A Medical Breakthrough With Risks for Patients
By Emily R. Siegel, Cynthia McFadden, Kevin Monahan, Andrew W. Lehren and Pauliina Siniauer, for NBC News. Nearly 17,000 events were classified as device malfunctions over the past 10 years in an FDA database, according… Read More
Laparoscopic Power Morcellator Dangerous for Hysterectomy or Myomectomy due to Fibroids
From the FDA. “Since the FDA first issued warnings about the risk of spreading unsuspected uterine cancer from the use of laparoscopic power morcellators, we have continued to review new research to ensure our recommendations… Read More