The Dangers of Defective Medical Hip Implants

Undergoing a hip replacement surgery is an intense and invasive procedure, yet one that hundreds of thousands of patients throughout the United States undergo every year. While these surgeries are performed in order to alleviate pain and restore mobility to patients with hip bones that have significantly deteriorated, the surgeries don’t always go as planned. In fact, there are a number of complications that are associated with hip replacement surgeries, especially when the medical hip implants themselves are defective.

Risks of Hip Replacement Surgery

The Mayo Clinic provides a detailed list of some of the most common complications and risks of hip replacement surgery. These risks include:

• Blood clots;
• Infections;
• Fracture of healthy portions of the hip joint;
• Dislocation;
• Changes in leg length; and
• Loosening of the implant.

In addition to these risks, there are also a number of other concerns that are associated with hip implants that are defective. These complications include:

• Bone loss, or osteolysis. This can occur when the ball and the cup rub against each other, leading to particles breaking off and settling around the joint. In response, the bone around the implant weakens. This can result in pain, and the loosening of the implant.

• Serious problems with metal-on-metal hip implants. There have been a number of serious problems associated with metal-on-metal hip implants, as when the metal parts rub against each other, tiny pieces of metal are sheared off. These tiny particles can then embed themselves in the tissues around the implant, and make their way into the bloodstream. The complications that result can be serious, including metal poisoning, infection, pain, swelling, and bone loss.

The problems listed above almost always result in the patient requiring a second surgery to correct the defect. Long-term complications, including pain and lack of mobility, are also common.

Your Rights When a Defective Hip Implant or Other Medical Device Causes You Harm

When you are a patient undergoing a hip replacement surgery, you have certain expectations for that surgery, and one thing that you certainly don’t expect is to experience more pain, infections, or complications after the surgery. When this happens and you suffer harm, you deserve to be compensated for your losses. At the offices of the Wall Huntington Law Firm, our aggressive Wichita personal injury lawyers can help you to bring forth a claim against the manufacturer of a defective medical device, and recover the compensation that you are owed for your losses. To learn more, request a free consultation with our law firm today.