There is no question that private industry will continue to investigate totally implantable cardiac devices, but that is not what the public requires.

For example, Medicare recently started paying for implanted cardiac devices in many patients with heart trouble, now that research has shown them to be highly effective.

It is legal and ethical to honor requests by patients, or by those with legal authority to make decisions for patients, to deactivate implanted cardiac devices.

If a cardiac device were to fail, it might not provide a shock when needed or keep your heart beating at a steady rhythm.

But it's rare for cardiac devices to fail or be recalled.

A recall of a cardiac device does not mean that it needs to be removed.

Silver is also used in bone prostheses, reconstructive orthopedic surgery and cardiac devices.

Cameron Health's approach avoids implanting transvenous leads into the heart, which has been the usual procedure for cardiac devices.

Researchers analyzed 123 studies of 78 cardiac devices that received pre-market approval from the FDA for men and women from 2000 to 2007.

Investors began bidding up the price in anticipation of the Food and Drug Administration approval, expected by year-end, of a new, lightweight cardiac device, he said.