Customer Communications
Dual Chamber IPG Circuit Error

Dual Chamber IPG Circuit Error

Adapta, Versa, Sensia, Relia, Attesta, Sphera, and Vitatron A, E, G, Q series
Original Date of Communication: January 2019

View specific models that this applies to

STATUS UPDATE - MAY 2023

  • In September 2019 Medtronic released several software updates to correct for this issue. These software applications are:
    • For Adapta/Versa/Sensia IPGs - Software model SW003 v8.2
    • For Relia IPGs - SW010 v8.2
    • For Attesta/Sphera IPGs - SW043 v8.2
    • For Vitatron IPGs – VSF20 v8.2 and FSF21 v8.2
  • Once a device is interrogated by a programmer with the above-indicated software version or higher, any pacemaker programmed to a non-susceptible pacing mode, specifically to avoid a circuit error, may be reprogrammed to any pacing mode.
  • Once a device is updated (update is installed onto devices via interrogation by a programmer with one of the above software applications), if the circuit error were to occur, the pacing cycle will automatically reset; this may be observed as a single dropped beat.
  • As of April 11, 2023, 77,000 devices remain active out of an original population of 156,957 devices worldwide.
Initial Affected Population Number of Confirmed Advisory Related Events Estimated Remaining Active Population Current Malfunction Rate (confirmed malfunctions over total population)
156,957 Worldwide 38 Worldwide 77,000 Worldwide

0.02% Worldwide

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATION - JANUARY 2019

Product

A subset of Medtronic dual chamber pacemakers distributed worldwide between 10 March 2017 and 7 January 2019 under the brand names Adapta™, Versa™, Sensia™, Relia™, Attesta™, Sphera™, and Vitatron™ A, E, G, Q series may experience a circuit error that affects device functionality. Please note that not all devices within these brand names are affected by this recall. You may use the "Search for Information by Serial Number" tool on home page of this web site to determine if a specific device is affected.

Advisory

Devices in the affected subset, when programmed to a dual chamber mode with atrial-sensing, may experience a circuit error that affects device functionality. See Table 1 for modes that are susceptible to this circuit error. For this error to occur, a unique combination of events must take place while the device is processing an atrial-sensed event. If this error occurs, the device will be unable to provide pacing until a ventricular-sensed event (VS) is detected. Once a VS is detected, normal pacing functionality is restored immediately. If a VS is not detected, the device will withhold both atrial and ventricular pacing. In addition, until a VS is detected, the device will be unable to initiate a session with a programmer, initiate a session with a CareLink™ remote monitor, or respond to a magnet. Single chamber and dual chamber pacing modes that do not sense atrial activity are not susceptible to this circuit error (see Table 1).

Table 1:Identification of modes susceptible/not susceptible to circuit error

Modes susceptible to circuit error   Modes NOT susceptible to circuit error

DDD, DDDR
DDI, DDIR
VDD
ADI, ADIR
VDI, VDIR
ODO
OAO

MVP - when operating in DDD, DDDR, DDI or DDIR mode

  VVI, VVIR
DVI, DVIR
AAI, AAIR
VOO, VOOR
AOO, AOOR
DOO, DOOR
OVO
 VVT, AAT

 

Through 4 January 2019, Medtronic is aware of four (4) reported occurrences in two (2) patients where a pause in pacing therapy was clinically apparent due to this circuit error. These reported events occurred in three (3) devices from a total of 156,957devices sold worldwide. No deaths have been reported as a result of this issue.

Patient risk is determined by the patient’s underlying cardiac rhythm and whether the device is in a susceptible pacing mode as described above. Through our analysis of this issue, Medtronic estimates that on average, a device in a susceptible pacing mode has a 2.8% chance per month of experiencing a pacing pause of 1.5 seconds or longer. Risk is minimized in patients who have an escape rhythm adequate to prevent syncope during a loss of ventricular pacing, since a VS restores full device functionality. No risk of a pause due to this circuit error exists for patients programmed to a non-susceptible pacing mode. 

The root cause for this issue is related to a design change to an integrated circuit in a subset of devices that were distributed between 10 March 2017 and 7 January 2019.

Medtronic is developing a software update that can be installed into affected devices to correct this issue. Medtronic estimates submission of this software update to regulatory agencies by the 2nd half of 2019. Upon subsequent regulatory approval, Medtronic will notify customers of its availability. Until that time, Medtronic is providing the patient management recommendations described below and depicted in Appendix A.

Patient Management Recommendations

We realize that each patient requires unique clinical considerations. In consultation with Medtronic’s Independent Physician Quality Panel (IPQP), Medtronic recommends programming to a non-susceptible pacing mode as the primary mitigation for patients implanted with an affected device until the software update has been installed. Specific patient risk assessment and programming recommendations are outlined below and provided in Appendix A.

  • For patients whose device is programmed to a non-susceptible mode (see Table 1), no action is needed at this time. Continue routine clinical monitoring.
  • For patients whose device is programmed to a susceptible mode and are continually in persistent atrial fibrillation, reprogramming the device to the non-susceptible VVI or VVIR mode is recommended to eliminate risk due to this issue until the software update has been installed. Continue routine clinical monitoring.
  • For patients whose device is programmed to a susceptible mode and either: have no underlying ventricular escape rhythm; or are at risk for a symptomatic pause until a ventricular escape beat occurs, programming to a non-susceptible mode is recommended to eliminate risk due to this issue until the software update has been installed. Continue routine clinical monitoring.
  • For patients who do not tolerate programming to a non-susceptible pacing mode and either: have no underlying ventricular escape rhythm; or are at risk for a symptomatic pause until a ventricular escape beat occurs, continue clinical monitoring in a susceptible mode until the software update is available, or consider device replacement.
    • The estimated per patient mortality risk due to this issue is 0.021% when programmed to a susceptible pacing mode over the estimated time until the software update becomes available. This risk is comparable to the Medtronic estimated per-patient mortality risk associated with a device replacement (0.027%) *.
    • If a patient reports symptoms consistent with a pacing pause, and you would like assistance assessing whether a patient had a pause due to this issue, contact your Medtronic representative.
  • Advise patients remaining in a susceptible mode to seek immediate medical attention if they experience new or unexpected symptoms consistent with a pacing pause.
  • Other than reprogramming to a non-susceptible pacing mode, no additional programming options have been identified to mitigate this issue. 

 

*Medtronic Data on File. MDT2260884-CRHF CIED Infection Report; MRCS: MDT2260884, Version 2.0, 11/02/2015.


 

Appendix A: Programming decision flow chart

Flowchart


 

 

Vitatron models do not appear in the list below


Specific Models This Applies To

www.medtronic.com/productperformance 951051