I've previously commented on Stryker.

Boston's scientific's layoffs, annouced last summer, also had nothing to do with the exise tax, which it didn't mention:

Boston Scientific has faced weak markets for its key products -- heart stents and implantable heart defibrillators -- for several years as the number of procedures has dropped, partly because of a weak economy and heightened scrutiny over their use.

The medical device maker, which has been struggling since its 2006 acquisition of heart stent maker Guidant Corp, is expected to announce the additional layoffs within the next two months, according to a person close to the company.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/29/us-bostonscientifi...

Schvitz