How many Americans have an implantable cardiovertor defibrillators (ICDs)?

Must be a lot they seem to always be recalling them or some are defective and law suits are ongoing.. I'd say a lot mine cost around 200 hundred thousand to have it all done then it's checked every 3 months that's another $ 175. Then the Dr who implanted the device will want to see you every 6 months that's another $ 150 or more depending on what he actually does.. They wear you out!! I consider it 9-11 implant until help arrives and it takes time to get use to it being there.They cost a lot and a lot to maintain

lots of them

Quite a few. A girlfriend of mine husband went to another state to pick up his daughters car and his defibrillator kept going off and kicking his a.ss. He finally stopped at a gas station and called Mary his wife she made him give the phone to the gas station attendant to call 911 to have an ambulance come and get him. They had to shut the thing off and re program it. It was giving him hell. Its funny now, its a wonder it didn't kill him.

ALot of people do. My step-father has one. As a matter of fact he has had three different type of boxes implanted into his heart in the past three years. Only 1/4 of his heart actually works.