Guidant Defibrillator: Check before it's Too Late

Kathy Schoep from Poway, California has few regrets in her life, except for not having her Dad's Guidant defibrillator checked. It might have saved his life.

"My father had a weak heart, and the doctor said his heart could stop if he was frightened or exerted himself too much, so he had a Guidant defibrillator inserted. He had it for about 19 months.

I took excellent care of my dad: I was living with him, watching his diet, and he was in good health. We saw his doctor every three months to have the defibrillator checked. But I do recall on his last visit the doctor said the numbers on the defibrillator were off. We didn't think there was anything to worry about but I do remember thinking it was strange. I went away thinking it was just an anomaly, a bleep, and no big deal. My doctor was always up front and honest; he did ask more questions than usual on this visit but said there was nothing to worry about. My dad passed away just one month afterward.

It was a scenario that had gone through my mind - that I would find Dad in bed one morning, dead. My Dad was cremated; he went straight from home to the mortuary and at the time there was no reason for an autopsy.

Then I saw the commercials on TV last October and Guidant defibrillators had been recalled. It said if someone had a Guidant implanted, visit your doctor immediately. I had my Dad's Guidant card with his serial number. I went to the Guidant website and it was on the recall list - the same make and model. Now there is nothing I can do - I can't imagine they took it out at the mortuary.

I have very few regrets because I was in a position where I was able to sell my house and move in with my Dad. It was so good to be able to really know my Dad and spend time with him. But one thing I do regret is to not have an autopsy or have the defibrillator looked at. We did activities every day, right up until he died; we went grocery shopping and went to the park. He was having a really good week, his aches and pains didn't bother him. He went to bed feeling great on Friday night and I found him dead Saturday morning.