My Opinions: Medtronic MiniMed 780G Insulin Pump with Guardian 4 CGM in SmartGuard!

I've been using a Medtronic pump for about 17 yrs. I hadn't realized how much sleep I've lost from all the alarms with the guardian 3. The guardian 4 sensor and 780g update is life-changing! Coming from the guardian 3, I am used sensor failures and the frustration that comes with it. That being said, with the guardian 4 when it fails I've found that charging it for a bit and then selecting "reconnect sensor" resolves the issue and I can use it for the full 7 days.

780g is working well for me. TIR last 30 days is 86%. AIC is 6.3. New sensor packaging will get to the USA someday… waiting on FDA seems to be my biggest problem with Medtronics products. Hope you post more about this pump. Less alarms, sleeping thru the night, eating like a regular human. 780 quality of life is good. Good luck Danica. I’ve learned so much from your channel as I started using an insulin pump 4 years ago. Miss your regular updates. I wish you all the best.

I've been on Medtronic pumps for 12 years so I don't have any experience with other Insulin Pumps. I have had good luck with the 780 and Guardian 4 sensor. My last A1C was 5.8 the best I have ever had being T1.

I switched to Tandem from Medtronic after having 5 different generation pumps with them. I found the Tandem pump to be more innovative with more convenience features. ControlIQ worked well for me, and I adore the Dexcom sensor. I personally found the recharging feature more annoying than helpful (give me a simple battery to change that I can get anywhere). I switch back to Medtronic about a year ago on recommendation of my provider based upon the advances of the Guardian feature. I agree the form factor of the pump and sensor is straight out of the early 2000s...old and dated interface and form. Their sensor setup is just as bad and has not really changed since they moved from the original 45-degree c-shaped needle inserter death machine (what an amazing advancement in BG measurement...that always scared the heck out of me inserting!). I am in total agreement with Danica. The Guardian algorithm is by far the best I have used. Top marks to Medtronic for purchasing the capability. It really does work. My hope going forward is that Medtronic returns to their original Minimed innovation culture. Release the new sensor on time, and design a form factor and interface to match your algorithm innovation.

I've been on the 780 software upgrade with the new Guardian 4 Transmitter and Sensor 4 sensors for 6 months now. You CAN use the sensor on your abdomen with no difference in accuracy per every customer service rep, technician, in person reps, docs. That way a single person can still use the tape system, which honestly needs to be replaced. Since last July at my upgrade, my a1c came down 7 to 6. The new algorithm is amazing in how it watches your level trends and adjusts your basal accordingly. My highs have been drastically reduced even after eating and forgetting to bolus and lows are nonexistent now. I'm looking forward to what future things Medtronic will be bringing out.

Hello and thank you for telling here your experience. Personally I use the Sensor on my abdomen and use only one of the two tapes so I can easily switch off on the transmitter if needed. I worked hard with my doctors during six months for adapting the ratios. We found a way and now it works ok without the hyperglycemias and the autobolus disminishing the bolus with the help of my doctors and Medtronic. It's incredible to watch the system working sometimes hard to maintain a good glycemia. I want to say also that we are all different and our diabete also, our age our morphology, our activity etc etc.. Good Luck everybody and thank you.

I’ve been on 780 pump for almost a year now. What I’ve found is wearing the sensor 4 on my arm is truly a blessing and no problems whatsoever. Prior to this I was using Sensor 3 and always had problems because I had it on my abdomen and Medtronic never once told me to use my arm instead. I thank god every day for the 780 and new sensor 4 for its accuracy! Good Luck with your new pump!

Great video and agree with all points made. Was on a Medtronic pump for 20+ years (starting with 530 and working my way up) but they took too long to get to the 780g out so I switched to Tandem X2 Tslim. Love the form factor, modern design and Dexcom sensors but I had a lot of trouble with it. Lots of lows and often on a roller coaster. It just didn’t work for me. I recently switched back to Medtronic to the 780g and I LOVE this pump in Smartguard. I am in range ~95% of the time and the unique algorithm is where this pump excels - it’s like wearing a pancreas. It does all of the work and decides when I need or don’t need insulin and how much and gives corrections when I need it. This has been life changing and I’m so happy to be on the 780g.

Welcome to the medtronic family! I’ve been a medtronic ambassador since when the 670G was released. I’m really looking forward to the Simplera sync coming out in the near future. The 780G has been a major improvement for me and my TIR has really improved. I definitely suggest using the patches for the G4 like the stayput patches you can buy in the medtronic shop. It has made it a lot more easier for me to keep the sensor on.

I have been using the 780G-Smartguard 4 combo for about 6 months. It’s been fabulous. My A1C is in the low 6s, My time in range at my last Dr. visit was 96%. Previously, I had A1Cs in the high 5s but lots of lows, none too scary. I can now go to bed with bs about 100 and not worry about going low. If I go high at night (late night snacking), I still wake up around 100-120. I use my abdomen for both extended infusion set and Smartguard sensor. Putting the clunky sensor on my upper arm is very difficult for me. I converted from the Dexcom G7. I loved it! For about 3 weeks, I wore both the Dexcom and the Smartguard. I actually found the Smartguard 4 to be more accurate when compared to bs meter. I gave up on the Smartguard taping system. I insert the sensor and overtape with a strip of Opsite Flexifix (this stuff is great, comes in a long roll, 4inches wide, cut in approximately 1.5inch strips). That’s my story, I hope it helps.

Guardian 4 is just now available in Canada. My dd is excited to try it. She has had allot 9f problems with the guardian 3 sensors failing often. Customer service is always great about replacing them but it is a pain to call every time.

Nice! Sounds like you are off to a very promising experience with Medtronic. We are so lucky to have many pump options on the market to find the right one for individual preferences. I defected from Medtronic after 20 years, and opted for Tandem t:slim with Control IQ with Dexcom G7 as opposed to the Medtronic 780G and its improved wear time and sensor. But I never looked back. My A1C went from 7s to 5.9, 6.2. I’m very happy with the color touch screen and slim profile. So easy and don’t miss scrolling through menus. Just slips in a pocket. Charging is easy & often I just plug in a power bank while watching a movie. And getting glucose readings on my watch and bolusing from my phone make it a great fit for me. It not for everyone obviously. With G7 there’s no separate transmitter to charge and its warm up time is only 30 minutes. If you’re really ambitious, you can time the insertions to have continuous CGM readings.

Plus, you can see the screen in the sunlight!! I love the 780G. It keeps me in range more than the X2 or the OP5

The best things about using the sensor 4 is that it works well with my Medtronic’s pump. The first day is a pain. It may require multiple finger sticks and often will go through a sensor updating processes at least once something more. I put in a new sensor at noon, and it only started to operate correctly at 11 pm. I went through so many sensor updates. Once it’s connected and working well, I never wake up with a BG lower then 120!

Great vlog Danica - I am in-between pumps at the moment (an Animas user like you - before they disappeared). I was really surprised to hear you were going to stick with the 780G - but hopefully the sensor application will one day be similar to the others on the market at current - otherwise - I probably would have not returned the pump to Medtronic. It did a few wonky things in Auto Mode that almost required an ER visit - with no explanation when away from the home base - very scary - so decided to just use whatever comes along from friends with good benefits here in the land of Oh Canada - where while we have healthcare coverage (sorta) via our taxes - when it comes to Pharmacare / Technology coverage - it's hit / miss depending on where you live sad to say. Keep on doing your thing here in the DOC !!! Woof Woof!!

I like the tech reviews of diabetes stuff. I'm happy with the system I am on currently (Omnipod 5), and previously had the TSlimX2, but it's nice to have reference material if I ever need to switch.

I just wish I didn’t need to rely on someone else to help me insert my g4 on my arm 😭😭😭

I am not overly thrilled with Medtronic. I have had a lot of trouble getting supplies. It has taken over 3-4 months to get everything I needed to set up the 780G. But this is the only thing my insurance covers.

I love my Medtronic 780g! My blood sugars have been SO SO much better. I'm waiting to switch to the extended wear infusion sets - I'm happy to hear how awesome they are! I almost always wear my CGM sensor on my upper thigh kind of hip area. Where my underwear kind of protects the over-tape. I don't know how many times my sensor has failed at 6 days and not 7. But overall I love my results since this update!

I have a Medtronic Insulin Pump. I used the first Generation CGM they had and upgraded my Medtronic Insulin Pump solely for having the CGM. I completely agree with you. I love the insulin pump. I can't stand the CGM. The sensor felt like having tiny copper wires in your skin. The CGM itself was constantly innaccurate in terms of the blood sugar readings. I went back to using a bluetooth blood sugar meter and just syncing it with my app on my phone. Much easier. A lot more cost effective, 70 strips for $25, less upkeep. Most of all more accurate readings. The insulin pump aspect is the best thing.