Personal Injury Law

Defective DePuy Hip Implants Continue to Affect Illinois Victims

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

Stories of hardship and suffering of those who were given defective DePuy hips implants continue to be heard across the country. The State Journal-Register recently shared the story of one Illinois hip recall victim whose life has been turned upside down by the medical device problem.

The 58 year old construction worker loves horseback riding and water skiing. However, it?s unclear whether he will ever be able to do those things again. His problems began last year when the Illinois victim had hip revision surgery in early March. Later that year he had blood tests performed which indicated dangerous levels of chromium in his bloodstream.

The metal particles had entered his body from the DePuy hip implant that he had gotten the previous March. The metal-on-metal device has since been discovered to have caused dangerous complications in thousands of patients who received the product.

The Illinois victim ultimately required a second hip implant operation?a dangerous revision surgery that itself poses complication risks. He is now unable to put any weight on that side of his body. The man hopes to attend therapy, but he must wait a few more weeks before further medical tests are taken to understand the best way to begin therapy.

The DePuy hip implants problem was uncovered last year, prompting the official recall in August of 2010. However, complaints about the devices go back to 2005. Nearly 100,000 patients received the specific metal-on-metal implant in question in the six years it was used. At least 12,000 of those patients will likely face severe complications as the device fails, requiring corrective surgery. Many of those patients may not be aware of their risk.

The failure of the devices caused metallic particles to be released in patient bodies. The particles then may enter the bloodstream ultimately risking a range of problems from deafness and dementia to heart failure. The consequences cannot be overstated.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on March 26, 2011 (boomark / email).