DePuy Hip Replacement Recall
Highly touted as one of the more successful and life-altering surgical procedures developed, the hip replacement surgery has allowed patients to regain mobility and most importantly, their lives back. Most patients who are candidates to receive a hip transplant suffer from chronic conditions such as osteonecrosis, hip disorders, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, so the procedure can bring great relief. But even though the procedure is rooted in a tremendous amount of success for many, it can still be routed in some complications and defective systems.
If you’ve had a hip replacement, you should be aware that DePuy Orthopedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson, has recalled two very popular hip transplants. The DePuy hip recall was issued for the ASR Hip Resurfacing and the ASR XL Acetabular System, because of their potential side-effects, failure rates and a variety of complications.
Research shows these hip implants have significantly higher failure rates than other models and have caused serious problems for many. Such complications include loose cups, pseudo-tumors and allergic reactions to metal debris released by the implants. These problems commonly cause pain, swelling and difficulty walking, among other symptoms. Patients have also had persistent hip pain, cognitive decline and shortness of breath as the microscopic metallic particles from the hip implant were released into the bloodstream and tissues.
Many patients have since required a second hip replacement surgery due to the issues associated with the hip devices, and hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against DePuy following the onset of serious side effects. Additionally, the DePuy ASR devices are associated “metallosis,” a serious condition that can bring by rashes and nerve damage. This can occur when the metal-on-metal movement of the implant causes friction and releases dangerous levels of chromium and cobalt ions into the body.
In an editorial that ran in the June issue of The Journal of Arthroplasty, three leading physicians argued that metal hip implants “do not show any clinical advantage,” but rather “are producing a new series of complications.” Five years after receiving the DePuy implants, complications required 12 to 13 percent of patients to undergo a second hip replacement surgery. More than 13,000 individuals have received the DePuy ASR metal-on-metal hip replacement since it first became available in July of 2003.
For more information on medical devices and drug side effects, visit Drugwatch.com.
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