New investigation reveals implanted medical devices approved in Canada despite risks
CBC Radio | Posted: November 26, 2018 4:56 PM | Last Updated: November 26, 2018
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