Heart Implant Recall

Thoratec Corp. has announced the recall of mechanical heart pumps that lead to the deaths of five people. There have been 27 confirmed reports of incidents in which wear of an electrical wire necessitated replacement of a heart device.

Thoratec said that the reports came over the course of five years and involved approximately 2,000 implants. In the five cases where the patient died, the heart device could not be replaced. The devices included in the recall were distributed to 87 hospitals throughout the United States and other countries.

The implantable ventricular assist devices are mechanical pumps that help a weak heart pump blood through the body and are often used while a patient waits for a heart transplant. Thoratec is urging patients to have their implants checked as soon as possible.