Would You Pay It Forward?

I have a defibrillator that was replaced by a different model. Would anyone want this?

Hmmm; Would I want a used Electrical device implanted in my chest to help keep me alive? From some one else that is no longer alive? Did the device fail?

Regardless of sterilization or prior functional history I would still be inclined to say no as we are all aware that technology advances in leaps and bounds. Especially those that someones live may depend on.

The device was in perfect health. I wasn't. I needed the pacemaker with extra leads to go to the opposite side of my heart.

Would you turn it down if you were broke and w/o insurance? The older technology still works when that's all you need. The VA uses all the older technologies and drugs, too. I know. My wife and I have both just lost our health insurance and my wife will have none at all for six months.

Sterilization would have to be done at insertion, too. Could you tell the difference?

When the doctor says this is it and the insurance company is "holding his hand" I doubt that you would have a long moment making a decision.

Remember insurance companies? I have had some very unfavorable dealings with them and usually they win. When they can save virtually any amount of money...THEY WILL. I would almost bet they are funding this research. Would that be nice to know?

This has to be one of the most insane ideas I've ever heard here at CR4. Does anyone here really think that the most expensive part of a pacemaker implantation operation is the pacemaker electronics? Does anyone think that there is a supply shortage of pacemakers or their parts to make new ones today? I'm all for recycling but the cost of sterilization can easily exceed the cost of fabricating a new unit. Then there's the legal liabilities and ethics of not using a new product to maintain a human being's life.

Now I'm not at all surprised that 80% of the patients that have these instruments implanted wish to contribute back into the system that is extending their lives. But I would love to know some more granularity to that data. How many of the 80% that want their implants to continue after them know anything about the complications of implantation? How many of the 20% that reject this idea know the field of implantation?

Remember that 99.9% of all statistics is made up on the spot. Maybe that's a little to high. How about 47.3% of all statistics is made up on the spot.

Is it April already?