WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators are warning surgeons to stop implanting a heart pump recently tied to cases of stroke and more than a dozen deaths.
Medical device manufacturer Medtronic said Thursday it would stop selling its Heartware device, due to a power failure problem that could cause it to suddenly stop working. About 4,000 people currently have the device.
Physicians will decide whether to remove a device, based on their patients health and the potential risks of surgery. The Medtronic device was for people with heart failure, many who are awaiting a transplant.
