Much like beauty, data value lies in the eye of the beholder. My son's life was literally saved last year because of one of these devices shock his heart back to life; he was only 20, not obese, and with the execption of a congenital heart condition, in excellent health. He is here today and was able to live long enough to undergo the surgery needed to significantly prolong his life. I am glad his doctors in Kansas City and at the Mayo clinic did not share in these findings.

"It's lack of knowledge. It's ignorance. It's not keeping track of the guidelines," she said. "And we may have some physicians who don't agree with the guidelines or don't think the guidelines apply to their patients."

More likely it is either greed or tunnel vision. Greed because of the large payment cardiac surgeons get for implanting one. Tunnel vision because, well, as the adage puts it:

If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

80% percent do meet criteria, though. If the gov't was that efficient, we'd all have free healthcare and 8 weeks off a year!

Doctors put this device in my 84 year old Mother who also had diabetes and kidney failure. They said she would be up and about to enjoy the summer. She spent 5 miserable months between the nursing home and the hospital. Never to see her home or enjoy a pain free day. She/Family loses Doctors Hospital wins. This was a business decision

I survived a sudden cardiac arrest at age 38 and now have a "built-in EMT" (ICD/internal defibrillator). I'm extremely thankful for the technology. It also seems that their time and money would be better spent continuing to educate the general public about continuous chest compressions and AEDs, means that can save many lives.

Fee structure in US medicine is all screwed up...Upside down as far as skill required to do a task vs make a Dx. Surgeons will scream bloody murder, but many elective surgical procedures take less training then they would have you believe. The Docs that get the shaft are the Internists/Onc docs. Oh sure, the spinal and neurosurgeons and some plastics guys really know their stuff, but in general the surgeons are overpaid for their procedures.

I suffer from A-Phib and I believe that it is the Dr.'s responsibility to provide the patient with as much information as is available, Then make his recommendation to the patient. The Patient then should be the one with the final decision on whether to have the implant. After all it is his life we are talking about. Thank God my A-Phib is under control with med's right now but that could change and i would have the implant.

NEA Exec., please cite a reference(s) to support your assertion.

And no doubt that this Will Save the Insurance Companies from having to Pay for these Implants !

The USA needs a Single Payer System like every other Civilized Country on the Planet.

Our Constitution Guarantees American Citizens the Right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Now just how Happy can you be when your too Dirt Poor to get Health Insurance and just how much Life can you get when your DEAD from a Health Condition for which you cannot afford the Proper Care to Recover back into Good Health.

I am all for some level of Capitalism ....... but when the Drive for Profits gets in the way of the Life and Health of Any and Every American Citizen then something has to be Done to Correct our Nation and the way that it has Abandoned the Poor and Middle Class.

First the Wall Street Investment Banks Unemploy Tens of Millions of American Citizens over the last 30 years by Exporting 80% of US Manufacturing Jobs to Communist China and India and then they wonder why Tens of Millions of American Citizens cannot find Work.

And the Pursuit of Happiness and Health ? What a Damn Joke. It was Wall Street that Hired Tens of Thousands of Lobbyists to Bribe DC Politicians to Sell American Citizens down the Drain and they they Blame these Unemployed Citizens for not attaining Work.

Wall Street Investment Banks and DC Politicians are Corrupt as HELL and they absolutely WILL get to their Eternal Residence of HELL !!!!!

May it be a SLOW BURN for all of you (Money is god Creeps).

A couple hours work, a couple $$$,$$$ no questions asked....paid for by insurance !!!! If patient didn't have insurance ????....take a few of these and see me in a few weeks ! Something's wrong with Insurance Industry !!!!!

if it should not be done then you should not do it. That is so true and i totally agree not only are you risking a patients life but they are also causing financial problems for those paitents due to copays and deductables and the fact the more money an insurance company has to pay out the higher their rates go for everyone including the paitent they just paid for, that is just a fact. However that being said their are probably those that fit into the don't do catorgory that should have it done so every case should be evaluated on a case by cae basis and not as a group that way only the procedure that are truly need get done.

If it were not for extensive goverment regulations and rules insurance companies and banks couldn't stay in business. They are the ones (goverment) that allow the obcene outrageous insurance and bank business to stay in business. Both industries are corupt with the medical system not far behind. If people would only study the health care systems of europe and canada you would know what a wild ride the republicans and tea baggers want to take you on, and you would know they are lying to you.

Probably a good study. As someone mentioned, patient should discuss with doctor all the pros and cons in their particular situation. I am glad I had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted. On the 18th of December, 2010, a diagnosis by the technician in the emergency room showed that I had two fibrillations in a row, that my pacemaker took care of, but the third one was too much, and I received a shock from my defibrillator. I would not be here otherwise. So, I feel that as of now on the 4th of January, I am on the 18th day of the rest of my life. Excellent Christmas present for myself and my family.

Take the facts from Dr. Sana Al-Khatib foreign born and educated with half the education and experience of American and European Doctors and simply you will DIE.