subject: The Consequences Of A Defective Hip Implant [print this page] The number of people wearing hip replacements is not small. When they undergo the medical procedure of replacing their own hip with an artificial one, they do it hoping that the medical device will help them return to their normal life. Unfortunately it doesnt always happen like that.
Defective hip implant effects
If a patient is wearing a defective hip replacement he could be experiencing:
Hip pain
Pain when walking or standing up
Pain when bearing weight
Swelling
A defective device or an incorrectly positioned one can cause hip dislocation or even fractures. However the effects may not be visible immediately and patients may not notice it without medical examination. A deteriorated device can deposit small pieces of metal into the patients body, which can form pseudo tumors. Performing a blood test will determine if a patient has high levels of metal in the blood around the hip.
Who is responsible?
In 2010 DePuy Orthopedics recalled one of its hip replacement systems. By doing that the manufacturing company admitted that the device had dangerous side effects. In deed the implant had a 13% failure rate, which caused many patients to suffer a revision surgery.
Different signs have shown that the company knew about the problems prior to the recall date. They officially warned doctors that the device has a higher than expected failure rate, but only in case of certain patients. They also withdrew their product from different markets but did not perform an official recall. Because of their negligence more patients had implanted a defective device.
Manufacturing companies have responsibilities towards their clients. If a defective device caused injury to someone they should offer compensation. DePuy has promised to pay for the cost of tests to determine if an implant is defective or not. But patients who need a second surgery deserve more than just the cover of their medical bills. Legally they are entitled to receive compensations for pain and suffering, the deterioration of life style and lost wages. So if you are one of the unfortunate patients dealing with such problems maybe its time for you to contact a personal injury lawyer.
