HRS addresses device safety issues

The annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society in Boston was dominated by talk of how best to reassure patients after the recent recalls of implantable cardiac devices. Attending electrophysiologists say the safety problems reported by Guidant and Medtronic have led to "near panic" among patients. Several panels discussed ways in which doctors can dissuade patients from having surgery to replace potentially defective devices in light of studies which show the procedure can pose more risks than simply doing nothing.

- see this article from Boston.com