Two hip implants manufactured by a division of Johnson & Johnson have been recalled worldwide due to high failure rate. These “metal-on-metal” implants can release small particles of metal into the patient’s body, causing painful, serious reactions and often requiring additional surgeries. In fact, 1 in 8 patients who received this defective product have needed additional surgery to correct the problem caused by the implants.
Symptoms you should watch for include swelling, pain and problems walking. While these symptoms are normal immediately after a hip replacement operation, if they continue or come back, it is a sign that you may have a more serious problem. These could include:
- Loosening – when the implant does not stay attached in the correct position to the bone
- Fracture – when the bone around the metal implant might have broken
- Dislocation – when the two metal parts of the implant which move against each other are not aligned
Manufactured by DePuy Orthopedics, the hip implants being recalled are the ASR(tm) XL Acetabular System and DePuy ASR(tm) Hip Resurfacing System. The metal device was recalled August 26, 2010.
If you have had hip replacement surgery, contact your doctor to see exactly what brand of manufactured replacement device was used in your medical procedure. If you are not sure who performed the operation, contact your primary care physician or the hospital where you had the procedure done.
If you have had or need surgery to fix the problem caused by a defective hip implant, contact the defective medical device lawyers at Carr & Carr Attorneys.
