New investigation reveals implanted medical devices approved in Canada despite risks
Global investigation reveals flaws in the way devices are approved and monitored
Devices placed in our bodies for medical reasons — such as hip replacements, vaginal meshs, or pacemakers — can be billed as miracle cures for suffering patients. But a new investigation led by CBC/Radio-Canada, the Toronto Star and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists found concerns in the way medical devices are approved and monitored in many countries, and patients who have suffered as a result.
An analysis of Health Canada data obtained through Access to Information also reveals that in the past 10 years, devices are suspected to have played a role in more than 14,000 reported injuries and 1,416 deaths.
The Current's Anna Maria Tremonti spoke to Valérie Ouellet, a senior data journalist with the CBC's investigative unit, about the year-long investigation into medical devices. Click 'listen' near the top of this page to hear the full conversation.
- This CBC/Radio-Canada/Toronto Star investigation is part of a global media collaboration through the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The ICIJ has investigated tens of thousands of medical devices and how they're made, approved and monitored by regulators worldwide.
- Learn more about your medical device by searching our database of Health Canada records.
With files from CBC News. Produced by The Current's Pacinthe Mattar