Kentucky – January 19, 2015
Above: Nanostim™ Leadless Pacemaker
Ms. Erin Grossman Vu, a legal resident of Kentucky who has been disabled for some years with congenital heart disease, relocated on 10-5-2013 to Michigan where she was living with relatives when she was accepted into a Medical Marijuana Program.
“I was first diagnosed with Supraventricular tachycardia. My first event happened when I was still working as a nurse. My heart rate popped up to 250's & sustained. I've been shocked by the paddles. Have been seen in every ER in Metro Louisville for the SVT I was having. I had three cardiac ablations done here in Louisville and the fourth was done in Lansing by Dr. Ip. After the 4th ablation, I began having slow heart rate events where my heart would drop to 32 bpm no warning & have to sit down or will pass out. Blood can clot at 32 bpm.”
She is one of less than 350 souls in the Nation to have this type of experimental device implanted directly into the heart on 7-10-14.
She said that her new heart problem arose before moving and Sick Sinus Syndrome occurred when she was unable to use her CPAP machine during an ice storm and electric was down.
She was selected to participate in this St. Jude Medical study by the Nation's leading device implant Cardiologist, Dr. John Ip of Lansing, MI.
In December she returned to Kentucky and re-established her citizenship here. She had been referred to a Cardiologist in Lexington Kentucky for follow up care. However, after the Lexington Cardiologist received her records he refused to treat her and she has yet to be evaluated by him.
In December she was treated for sustained bradycardia, a slow heart rate, at Louisville's Norton Surburban Hospital on 12-17-14.
Pacemakers are supposed to prevent slow heart rates however she still continues to have cardiac events, chest pain, and shortness of air.
St. Jude Medical and the Lexington Cardiologist (who shall remain unnamed) have refused to answer why the patient had a slow heart rate with a pacemaker and have refused to give her care at this point.
St. Jude Medical has refused to investigate as to why a cardiologist would refuse to see a pacemaker patient under their study. The FDA has been contacted about the product manufacturer, St. Jude Medical.
“I'm supposed to be interrogated by February 6th. I don't have access to the technology needed to communicate with my device. St. Jude Medical, the manufacturer set me up to have care assumed by a very specific cardiologist in Lexington. Only about fifteen people in Kentucky have this device. I've had no resolution, I've called all the proper places.”
“The Lexington Cardiologist won't see me, period, as patient or study participant. The Lexington study nurse told me I can't have two cardiologists. The ONLY reason I've been verbally given, doesn't make sense for a "study", I would have had to cancel a cardiac stress test I had done six days ago. I've been in chest pain since 12-17-14 when I had a sustained low heart rate with a pacemaker.”
At this time it seems that Ms. Grossman Vu is a seriously ill Heart Patient without a Doctor to care for her. The question remains whether or not this is due to the Medical Marijuana designation she received in Michigan, or the fact that the “leadless pacemaker’s” is in experimental status. That being said, she was set up with a Lexington Physician who specialized in this according to her Physician in Lansing Michigan. So what IS THE REAL REASON why she is being rejected by this Cardiologist?
This issue will be followed up.
Erin Grossman Vu can be reached at Stjudemedicalpatient@yahoo.com
smk
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