Field Safety Notices about Barrx™ 360 Express RFA Balloon Catheter, Model 64082

According to Inspectie Gezondheidszorg en Jeugd, this field safety notices involved a device in Netherlands that was produced by Medtronic.

What is this?

Field safety notices are communications sent out by medical device manufacturers or their representatives in relation to actions that they may be taking in relation to their product that is on the market. These are mainly for health workers, but also for users. They can include recalls and alerts.

Learn more about the data here
  • Type of Event
    Field Safety Notice
  • Date
    2018-02-14
  • Event Country
  • Event Source
    IGJ
  • Event Source URL
  • Notes / Alerts
    The data from the Netherlands is current through October 2018. All of the data comes from Inspectie Gezondheidszorg en Jeugd, except for the categories Manufacturer Parent Company and Product Classification.
    The Parent Company and the Product Classification were added by ICIJ.
    The parent company information is based on 2017 public records. The device classification information comes from FDA’s Product Classification by Review Panel, based on matches of recall data from the U.S. and the Netherlands.
  • Extra notes in the data
  • Reason
    We have taken note of two situations where the barrx ™ 360 express rfa balloon catheter has not been used in accordance with the instructions for use (abnormal use), which has led to adverse side effects including three perforations of the esophagus (first abnormal use situation - described in appendix a) and a narrowing of the esophagus of 15% (second situation with abnormal use - described in appendix b).

Manufacturer

  • Manufacturer Parent Company (2017)
  • Manufacturer comment
    “If our surveillance systems identify a potential performance issue, our personnel promptly evaluate the problem, including, when appropriate, conducting root cause investigations and internal testing to assess whether the product continues to meet specifications and defined performance criteria,” Medtronic told ICIJ in a statement. “In some cases, based on this evaluation, Medtronic may determine that a recall is necessary.” The company said that it communicates with healthcare providers and/or patients and provide recommendations to address such issues. Medtronic noted that these communications can include letters, emails, calls, press releases, physician notifications and social media postings, as well as informing the FDA and other regulators of the actions. Note published by the authorities from the Netherlands: This message is a warning from the manufacturer. After placing a medical device on the market, the manufacturer is obliged to follow the device and, where necessary, to improve it. When there is a risk for the user, the manufacturer must take action. The manufacturer informs users and the inspection of this action with a warning (Field Safety Notice). See also medical device warnings. This is part of the supervision of medical technology.
  • Source
    IGJ