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Shirley C. Caregiver

Medtronic lvad recall

Wed, 11/10/2021 - 1:34PM

I am trying to get info about the defective Medtronic vad. My brothers lvad is one of them recalled and they no longer use them. He was having clots and had a stroke and then brain bleed. So they kept him in hospital on warfarin til he got a heart. Just wondering if anyone else has gone through this?

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Sravasti T.

Mon, 11/15/2021 - 12:05PM

my husband suffered  stroke due to the vad from medtronic. there wasn’t a recall but it made his life more complicated for sure . 

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Shirley C.

Mon, 11/15/2021 - 12:33PM

I’m so sorry to hear that. How long ago was his stroke? Did he get a heart or another vad? I’m just confused about them recalling at the same time my brother was having clots in his vad and then stroke and clot busters caused brain bleeds. Praying for all those with VADS !
Hoping my brother gets better soon!

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Sravasti T.

Mon, 11/15/2021 - 3:01PM

hi. we pray for your brother health and well being.  my husband got the LVAD in January 2020 and the stroke in September 2020. They didn’t replace it and it’s soon for transplant. he needs to first get on the list and the stroke certainly delayed things. he was doing so well with the vad and then this happened. we have to be extra careful with blood pressure and taking stress etc. 

 

 

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David A.

Mon, 11/15/2021 - 1:11PM

my lvad failed in May this year .the doctors thought it was a fault but turned out to be a blockage .

they went forward with replacement of the new lvad in May and I'm on my 6th year of living with a LVAD 

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Shirley C.

Mon, 11/15/2021 - 1:25PM

I’m so glad they were able to replace your vad. They were not able to replace my brothers, I don’t know why. They put him on warfarin and kept him til he got a heart. Has not been fun, after stroked and brain bleeds. Glad your doing good.

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Diane B.

Mon, 11/15/2021 - 2:01PM

Have a look at attached link. The LVAD technology has advanced a great deal over the last 15 years. It is only in the last 3 or 4 years that LVADs have been approved for destination therapy (permanent) rather than just bridge to transplant. It is a possibilty that MDs kept him in hospital because it might bump him up the list to qualify faster for a new heart. Does your brother know what their plan was?

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Shirley C.

Mon, 11/15/2021 - 2:17PM

He was having clots in the lvad they said and one minute they were going to replace the vad then they were not. Raised him on transplant list, then took him off list, then put him back on and off several times. Then they found him a heart and off he went to surgery. First week of July transplant then home on October 7th. There were complications that I have never been told about. Didn’t do pt or OT in the hospital at all and sent him home. It was fun the first month lol. He is better and getting better daily. I don’t know why but they put the heart in him and gave up on him. But thankfully I didn’t!

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Shirley C.

Mon, 11/15/2021 - 2:40PM

Brother vad was one that was recalled. He got his letter while in the hospital. His problems started with a stroke in June 2020, has had his vad since 2018. Then clots and brain bleed from clot busters in November 2020. Then urinated pure blood in April 2021and admitted til transplant July 2021. I just wonder if he will be compensated from Medtronic? Or ever hear from them. Was told there didn’t seem to be clots in the vad like they thought. Lvad was a bridge to transplant and everything went fine for 3 years then vad was not working properly and he got his new heart but has no short term memory. Bless him! Praying all gets better! Thanks for the link!