Johnson & Johnson subsidiary DePuy Orthopaedics recalled their ASR hip joint replacement in late August of 2010, years after the product was introduced to the market – without a clinical trial – in 2003. However, between 1 in 8 and an astounding 1 in 2 patients will need a revision surgery within six years – a second surgery on the affected hip simply to correct the serious problems caused by the hip implant. The first surgery comes with a massive monetary cost – often in the thousands – as well as significant healing time, and the second surgery can be even more expensive and come with more risk and pain to the patient.
Complications related to a DePuy hip implant include metallosis, or metal poisoning, which can cause tumors and blood poisoning. Other side effects include hipbone fracture, hip implant loosening, and complete hip dislocation. Most of these conditions necessitate a revision surgery in order to correct the problems and improve the quality of life in the patient. Revision surgery comes with complications not always found in the original surgery, such as the need to remove a device that is meant to be permanently affixed to a patient’s bone. Bone and tissue weakening is common due to old age as well as conditions associated with complications from the device. Bone and tissue degradation can also be caused by the initial hip replacement surgery or the original medical condition that necessitated the hip replacement in the first place.
Over 100 victims have filed a lawsuit related to the DePuy hip implant, and since there are over 35,000 patients with an implant in America today, the total number of DePuy lawsuits in this country is yet to be seen. Plaintiffs are hoping to receive compensation for the endless hip complications they have endured and may have to endure in the future.
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