May 14, 2012 ? Boston Scientific Corp. announced extended warranties of up to 10 years, depending on the model, for its Energen and Incepta implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds). The company said the new warranty program is the longest available in the industry and provides physicians, patients and payers across Europe warranties up to five years longer than other currently-marketed cardiac devices. Following are the devices and their warranties.
- Energen and Incepta VR ICD, 10-year device warranty
- Energen and Incepta DR ICD, eight-year device warranty
- Energen and Incepta CRT-D, six-year device warranty
"Having such a warranty for devices gives physicians assurance about longer battery life and can provide patients with greater peace of mind. This is a major factor to consider when selecting a specific device to implant," said Dr. Oliver Przibille, FESC, CCB, Herzschrittmacher-Centrum, Frankfurt, Germany.
"From a psychological point of view, an extended warranty has an extremely positive effect on a patient's perception and acceptance of this therapy, because a long warranty means the manufacturer is confident about the longevity of its devices," said Dr. Roberto Verlato, head of cardiology department, Camposampiero Hospital, Italy.
Boston Scientific's warranty program is based on real-world data from more than 67,000 devices, which include the company's advanced battery technology that offers greater capacity compared to other ICD and CRT-D batteries and includes numerous energy-saving features.
Currently, 14 million Europeans have heart failure, and this number may rise to 30 million by 2020 as a result of the aging population and the effectiveness of recent treatments to lengthen patients' survival. Heart failure is associated with frequent hospital admissions, which represent the main driver of treatment costs (67-75 percent). On average, heart failure treatment costs amount to 1-2 percent of each country's total healthcare budget in Europe.
For more information: www.bostonscientific.com