Medtronic was the pioneer of defibrillators 50 years ago, and is now a world leader in defibrillator technology. But now, many people are asking, "should I replace my Medtronic defibrillator?" Maybe we should ask Vice President Dick Cheney. He looks fairly chipper after getting a Medtronic defibrillator/pacemaker implanted in his shoulder. However, in all seriousness, you should talk to your doctor to find out more about your medical options.

So what exactly is the problem with Medtronic defibrillators? Medtronic notified doctors in February 2005 of a defect in approximately 87,000 Internal Cardiac Defibrillators (ICD) and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillators (CRT-Ds) that were manufactured between April 2001 and December 2003.

There were 4 devices that were potentially affected by the February 2005 notification:

• InSync I/II/III Marquis CRT-D
• InSync III Protect CRT-D
• Marquis VR/DR ICD
• Maximo VR/DR ICD

Medtronic voluntarily advised physicians about a potential battery short in ICDs and CRT-Ds so that physicians are aware of the potential issue and can manage it as they feel is appropriate with their individual patients.

If you have a Medtronic defibrillator implanted, Medtronic recommends that you continue to go for regular, routine follow-up procedures. They also recommend that you turn on the low battery voltage PatientAlert indicator. If the area surrounding the ICD begins to feel warm, you should also seek care. Finally, you should use a hand-held magnet to monitor the device status periodically. When you pass the magnet over the device you should hear a tone from the device that will indicate that everything is OK.