The vast majority of medical devices recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were subject to a less stringent regulatory process that requires only that the device prove that it's similar to something already on the market, according to a recently published study.
Of the 113 devices recalled from 2005 to 2009 because the FDA determined they could cause serious health problems or death, 80 (71%) were reviewed using the “510(k) process,” which is meant to assess devices deemed to involve low or moderate risk.
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