Mar 14, 2023
Medical device company chief arrested over ‘dummy’ implant scam
Florida company Stimwave and its CEO duped doctors into implanting useless pieces of plastic into chronic pain patients.
Implant Files
Implant Files was the first global investigation into the medical device industry that tracked the harm caused by medical devices that have been tested inadequately or not at all.
Feb 21, 2023
From crime fighting cop to corruption-busting reporter
Reporter Boyoung Lim originally started her career as an officer on the Korean police force, before realizing there were other ways to help people pursue justice and hold the powerful to account.
Aug 18, 2021
Medical device-related deaths being ‘miscategorized’ in key US database, study finds
The new research appears to corroborate a key finding from the Implant Files investigation, which showed revealed how deaths linked to medical devices were being underreported.
Dec 16, 2020
US medical industry urged to reassess paid events amid doctor kickback concerns
The rare ‘fraud alert’ from the Department of Health and Human Services could signal a harder line on industry-funded speaker programs.
Nov 16, 2020
Heart doctors more likely to implant devices from manufacturers that pay them, new study finds
The research challenges the claim that patient care decisions are not influenced when physicians receive large payments from drug and medical device companies.
Oct 20, 2020
Implant Files reporters win partial release of medical device information in France
The ruling excluded information on the grounds of protecting trade secrets as Le Monde journalists continue to call for press freedom.
Oct 08, 2020
US regulator calls for ‘black box’ warning on breast implants
The new FDA guideline is meant to alert patients to the health risks of breast implants, which have been associated with serious illnesses, ICIJ’s Implant Files investigation found.
Sep 04, 2020
Patient advocates push US states to mandate breast implant warnings
Frustrated by FDA delays, some survivors are promoting laws to require informed consent before breast implant surgery in at least six states.
Sep 01, 2020
‘A good idea and a serious topic’: Joop Bouma on investigative journalism
An ICIJ member since 2001, Dutch investigative journalist Joop Bouma knows about the power of collaborations – we spoke with him as he wrapped up a career spanning more than 45 years.
Aug 26, 2020
Bayer to pay $1.6b to settle thousands of US Essure injury claims
Tens of thousands of women claimed they suffered severe health problems after being implanted with the contraceptive device.
Aug 04, 2020
Essure injury complaints buried by Bayer, lawsuits claim
Only a fraction of incidents in which women were allegedly harmed by the contraceptive device were reported, experts in California cases claim.
Jul 02, 2020
New study backs breast implant illness claims by patients
A new study in a leading plastic surgery journal offers more evidence to support the existence of breast implant illness.
Jun 11, 2020
Lax testing of spinal cord stimulators threatens patient safety, consumer group warns
Public Citizen finds the U.S. health watchdog putting patients at risk by not requiring human trials for all new versions of the implant.
May 19, 2020
FDA warns Allergan over breast implant studies
US health authorities have issued a warning letter to leading global manufacturer, Allergan, for failing to properly carry post-market safety studies.
Apr 09, 2020
Spinal therapy tested on pigs and corpses banned in the UK
A controversial therapy for children with curved spines that featured in the Implant Files investigation has been banned in the United Kingdom.
Nov 25, 2019
We Used AI to Identify the Sex of 340,000 People Harmed by Medical Devices
The FDA won’t release data about whether patients were female or male, so ICIJ joined forces with Stanford to find answers.
Nov 25, 2019
Safety data from 20 countries added to Implant Files database
The International Medical Device Database now has more than 120,000 records about faulty or even dangerous medical devices from 46 countries.
Nov 21, 2019
Australian Patients Win in Closely Watched Mesh Class Action Against Johnson & Johnson
Hundreds of Australian women who suffered from a controversial type of transvaginal mesh won a landmark class action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson.
Nov 16, 2019
Readers from 50 countries share medical implant stories
ICIJ received more than 3,500 responses from people affected by the medical device industry in 50 countries, bringing to life the personal cost of implants that fail.
Nov 14, 2019
FDA challenged over metal implants ‘public health travesty’
Patients who suffered debilitating immune reactions after being implanted with metal-containing devices have joined doctors, scientists and industry representatives to testify before a United States government advisory panel.
Oct 23, 2019
FDA recommends tough warnings for breast implants
U.S. health authorities have recommended that breast implant manufacturers provide stronger patient safety warnings.
Oct 21, 2019
India strengthens medical device regulation
Nearly one year after the Implant Files, India’s health ministry plans to register and regulate medical devices the same way it does drugs.
Jul 24, 2019
Allergan Recalls Textured Breast Implants Globally Due to Cancer Links
Allergan will recall its Biocell textured breast implants worldwide due to their association with a rare cancer of the immune system.
Jul 11, 2019
Australia set to join nations banning textured breast implants over cancer links
Australian authorities have proposed to ban or suspend 25 models of breast implants due to their association with elevated risks of a rare cancer.
Jul 04, 2019
Implant Files honored with multiple awards around world
The Implant Files won the “health and wellness” prize at the ninth annual RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism in Mumbai, the latest honor for the ICIJ-led investigation into untested and unsafe medical devices.