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| Senator Max Baucus's look says 'OH NO YOU DIDN'T' |
Senators Max Baucus, Democrat, and Charls E. Grassley, Republican raised new questions about experimental use of a Medtronic device in spinal surgery on veterans and soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center from 2002 to 2004. The FDA had declared that this technology was sound for certain surgeries, but it was not apporved for spines. There was an experiment at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in which three doctors performed back surgery on roughly 22 veterans, with each doctor performing about seven surgeries. This looks suspicious becasue such a case would not need to be reported if the research touched less than 10 people being tested, and the fact that they divied the soldiers out between doctors shows that they were trying to get past the FDA regulations.
What makes this case disturbing is that there is evidence to show that those soldiers being treated were not properly informed of the risks of the surgery, and that they did not receive proper followup attention. Also, the whole operation was a pretty shady move that involved money coming under the table for the the Medtronic company itself.
I feel that the Senators are justified in their investigation of this experiment, and that the FDA is there to look out for the greater good of the American Citizens. It is not right to do testing, especially on our soldiers, if it is not properly approved by the Government. Testing and research is imprtant in today's socety, and technology had proven to save lives, and improve them; but this kind of testing should not go under the radar, or be fueled by medical corporations that want to make money. The senetors are looking out for the soldiers along with patients in years to come by investigation.
Source:
Wilson, Duff."2 Senators Raise Questions on Use of Medtronic Device" New York Times.27, December 2010.<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/business/28device.html?ref=us>
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