- Jul 16, 2001
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"It's really terrifying," said Black's wife, Angela. "This is something we've depended on and were told would save his life, but now we're not so sure. You've got to look at the risk of infection, the risk of scar tissue. But that risk was nothing compared to the risk of sudden death."
For 44-year-old Alan Black, the potential for a short circuit in his defibrillator was enough to convince his doctor to schedule replacement surgery for June 30. The Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, resident got his device in 2002.
Some of the devices have memory problems...
Black's device, the Prizm 2, is one of seven models the company announced on Friday had flaws. Some of the devices have memory problems and can be reprogrammed without removal. But nearly 29,000 of the defibrillators -- 20,000 implanted in U.S. patients -- can't be fixed externally.
"It's really terrifying," said Black's wife, Angela. "This is something we've depended on and were told would save his life, but now we're not so sure. You've got to look at the risk of infection, the risk of scar tissue. But that risk was nothing compared to the risk of sudden death."
For 44-year-old Alan Black, the potential for a short circuit in his defibrillator was enough to convince his doctor to schedule replacement surgery for June 30. The Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, resident got his device in 2002.
Some of the devices have memory problems...
Black's device, the Prizm 2, is one of seven models the company announced on Friday had flaws. Some of the devices have memory problems and can be reprogrammed without removal. But nearly 29,000 of the defibrillators -- 20,000 implanted in U.S. patients -- can't be fixed externally.
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