With the many patients who suffer from heart related problems, companies have had to produce many devices to save their lives and help them live a full and happy life. While we hate to think that there can be a malfunction or serious problem with the devices made, it happens more often than we may be aware of. One such device that has been recalled is the St. Jude defibrillator.

Most people think of defibrillators as external machines that are used to restart the heart, with paddles that are sometimes placed directly on the heart during surgery. Even now, a lot of businesses have a small defibrillator in case of heart attacks or strokes. These are just a few of the external defibrillators that exist, but the St. Jude defibrillator that was recalled is not an external model. Rather, it is placed surgically within a patient to help his or her heart beat regularly. The defibrillator is implanted to prevent sudden cardiac arrest from ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.

Some patients who have a heart condition cannot live without a device shocking their heart on a regular basis. This means they have open-heart surgery to have the defibrillator implanted on their heart to produce the shocks. Some of these patients even need a pacemaker as well. A pacemaker will pace the heart, which means if a person has an irregular heartbeat, the pacemaker will regulate its beat. Models of the St. Jude defibrillator include a pacemaker.

The St. Jude defibrillator models Epic and Atlas have been recalled because there is a defect in the software. When the defibrillator works properly it will shock the heart up to six times. After mid-life of the defective product, which lasts four to seven years, only the first shock of the six occurs. When the patient only receives fewer shocks, the heart may not be properly working and a heart attack or even death can occur. There are over 39,000 patients with an Atlas or Epic St. Jude defibrillator. That is a lot of patients depending upon the technology of the device to support their lives.

Though St. Jude has recalled the defective devices, those who already had the implant need to seek a physician for a corrective procedure. According to St. Jude, the process takes forty-five seconds to download the new software once the device has been checked for malfunctions. While this procedure is quick and non-evasive, it still means the patient has to go back for a malfunctioning device.

If you or a loved one has suffered adverse effects because of an improper St. Jude defibrillator, you may be eligible for compensation. Please contact a lawyer about reporting and filling a claim against St. Jude defibrillators. No one should have to worry about their defibrillator and pacemaker working properly when they have heart problems.

Lawyers who specialize in medical cases, especially those relating to defibrillators, want to help you if you have suffered unduly from an improper device or lost a loved one because of the malfunction. The 39,000 patients who have St. Jude defibrillators need to be aware of the malfunction of the product, and, without proper claims, they may be unaware of the recall.