The implant paper examines the intersection where innovation and uncontrolled greed intersect, and the damage that can be done.
Few fields generate more groundbreaking innovations than the medical industry. It is especially important to introduce the most modern medical equipment. From heart stents to hip replacements, these devices are responsible for extending and improving the lives of millions of patients.
But these success stories also have a dark side. In the rush to bring these new innovations to market, they are often poorly tested and completely unregulated. As a result, equipment malfunctions may occur, causing great physical discomfort and psychological distress to patients who are essentially used as experimental subjects.
Some of the film’s most exciting moments come from a series of interviews with mistreated patients. A man undergoes augmentation surgery to remove fragments of a damaged intervertebral disc he received. An elderly mother suffered a seizure after using a faulty insulin pump. A mechanic has sued the manufacturer after the metal in his artificial hip wobbled and poisoned him.
We’re hearing more stories of ruptured breast implants, potentially fatal uterine mesh leaks and malfunctioning heart devices. Patients are often forced to live under extreme conditions and restrictions. Despite their opposition and legal advice, medical device makers are rarely punished for negligence.
This video explains the process of making these devices and quickly approving them into the market. The current system ignores critical steps in accountability and testing. Medical-device makers have deep pockets that can cover their wrongdoing with expensive lawyers and flashy advertising. When lives are at stake, disaffected patients often have little choice. Paper trails documenting the lifecycle of equipment from concept to delivery are sketchy at best, but incidents of defects and degradation are becoming more common.
The implant document calls for more oversight of the medical device industry and a return to health care’s most basic “do no harm first” pledge.
