Opinion ID: 2331412
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Barbara Connelly

Text: She is very clear that she never received anything from Dr. Estabrooks' office about the implants, but she did receive a letter from the FDA in approximately January 1993 which precipitated her contacting Dr. Estabrooks immediately. She recalls Dr. Estabrooks telling her that the device would not break down, but that if her body rejected it, it might move and the wires breaking would show that the implant had moved. Dr. Estabrooks denied that the Teflon implants caused any problems. She disagrees with Dr. Estabrooks' records that reflect her March 1991 visit with the result of his sending her information about the FDA warnings, and she is very certain that is not true because she saw him in 1993 after receiving the warnings, she wanted to move immediately to have the implants removed before they could cause any significant further damage and the surgery was performed in 1993.... The problems she was having at that time which she thought might be related to the Vitek were severe bouts of sinusitis and bronchitis, severe headaches, joint pain throughout her body, fatigue, low grade fever, swollen glands. In 1991 or 1993 when she saw Dr. Estabrooks, he discouraged her from seeking a second opinion. Specifically, in January 1993, she mentioned Dr. Mitchell's name as one of the doctors who understood the problems with Teflon implants, and Dr. Estabrooks assured her that those articles were not true and that she needed to believe him. When she saw him in January 1993, he laughed off the FDA notice and said it was no big deal, and that once a year would be enough to take x-rays. He assured her that those articles were not true. He assured her there were not problems with the Teflon and that the FDA was just being overly cautious. Dr. Estabrooks says that he sent her material in 1991 from the FDA, but she did not receive the material. She doesn't understand why he didn't discuss with her the FDA concerns if he actually sent her that material. She saw him in 1991 and he never mentioned anything like that. He never discussed anything about the FDA until she received the FDA report in 1993 and contacted his office for an appointment.