The University of Iowa Veterans Association

In a February 2008 report entitled “Prosthetics in the VA: Past, Present, and Future,” the U.S. Naval Institute stated that the seven year war on terror has resulted in 737 soldiers losing limbs, 116 suffering spinal cord injuries, 53 instances of total blindness, and 3,145  traumatic brain injuries.  Most, if not all, of these veterans will benefit from the use of medical devices to increase the ability to perform activities of daily life and overall benefit from a greater quality of life.  Medical devices have become integral to ensuring that veterans have better transitions to civilian life and are better able to contribute to their families, communities, and country. Additionally, as some of our veterans age, these service men and women also become reliant on medical device technology such as implanted defibrillators, pacemakers, and hearing devices.