The nerve monitoring systems are used during surgical procedures to identify, confirm, and monitor motor nerve function during various surgical procedures to help reduce the potential risk of nerve damage. Image credit: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Class I recall for Medtronic’s NIM Vital Nerve Monitoring System due to the potential for false negative responses.

Class I recalls are designated as having the potential for serious injuries or death if devices continue to be used. The recall, which in this case is a correction as opposed to a product removal, has been linked with ten reported injuries, according to the FDA.

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The nerve monitoring systems are used during surgical procedures to identify, confirm, and monitor motor nerve function during a variety of surgical procedures to help reduce the potential risk of nerve damage. The NIM system probe issues an electromyography (EMG) tone when the NIM probe is placed on a nerve.

The recall notice was issued after reports that the device may fail to issue the EMG tone, which can indicate a false negative response. This can lead to serious adverse health consequences such as nerve damage, facial nerve damage, nerve weakening, and nerve paralysis.

Medtronic is deploying a software update, version 1.5.4, to fix the issue. The company sent affected customers an Urgent Medical Device Correction letter in June.

In the meantime, the FDA has advised customers to “follow organisational medical protocols in place for patients who are currently being monitored” with the NIM System to minimise the risk of injury. Adding that the surgeons should rely on “alternate monitoring, surgical skills, experience and anatomical knowledge to prevent damage to nerves if monitoring is compromised”.

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The NIM recall is the second one issued by Medtronic this year. In June, the FDA issued a Class I recall for Medtronic’s StealthStation S8 application, which is designed to be used with a surgical drill to locate anatomical structures during brain surgery. The recall was issued after reports of software error causing numbers or letters to be missing from the displayed text and replaced by a space. This could cause the surgeon to use an incorrect measurement for placement of the biopsy tip stop during navigation in neurosurgery.

A Class I recall for Medtronic’s endotracheal tubes has been ongoing since the company issued a safety notice on its devices in 2022. In January, the company sent a follow-up letter to customers to communicate information including updated instructions for use. Last month, Medtronic told customers to stop using the affected products immediately.