Bad News: DePuy Hip Implant Recalls

DePuy Orthopaedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson is recalling its ASR™ XL Acetabular System (available in the United States) and DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System. Both are hip implants.

Every day there are recalls for food, home products, cars, diet supplements, and pharmaceutical drugs. But what could be worse than a medical device recall that is already implanted in your body during an invasive surgery requiring painful recovery and a long inopportune rehabilitation? Women of small stature and people with weak bones face the highest risk.

This hip implant recall means additional testing and monitoring may be necessary to ensure your hip implant is functioning well. In some cases patients may need additional surgery known as revision surgery.

After more than two years of reports about early hip implant failure, DePuy Orthopaedics issued a warning letter to doctors about the medical device asking for assistance in notifying patients about the recall and answering questions that patients might have. The warning comes months after the company announced plans to phase out the product because of slowing sales.

What does this mean for hip implant patients? Grief.

At best it means that patients with DePuy hip implants will have to be tested and monitored. While many patients will have no problems, they may be haunted by the DePuy hip implant recall. These are the luckier ones.

Other patients with pain, swelling, and trouble walking will need to have additional surgeries to remove the defective hip implant and will need to find another solution to hip repair.

DePuy claims it will pay for reasonable costs but at what cost? How can you put a price tag on pain and suffering?

If you or a family member faces an uphill battle about a hip implant gone wrong – please do not conquer it alone. Contact the medical device lawyers at Anapol Schwartz to find out what your legal options are in regard to filing a DePuy hip implant lawsuit.