According to The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, metal-on-metal hip implants may cause toxic levels of metal to circulate in the bloodstream and ultimately deposit in the tissues.
According to the article, within one year of the hip implant surgery, 2 patients who were previously fit and healthy, experienced symptoms of persistent hip pain and shortness of breath as the metal from the hip implant entered into the patients bloodstream and tissues.
Two years after receiving the hip implants, the patients in the study experienced more overt signs and symptoms of cobaltism, which can include irritability, fatigue, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing loss, headaches, loss of coordination, cognitive decline, and depression. The condition could also progress to blindness, convulsions, nerve damage and cardiomyopathy.
In addition to the neurological and cardiac damage, cobaltism can also cause tissue damage that could lead to complications that make future revision surgeries of the damaged metal hip implant impossible to repair.
The DePuy ASR metal-on-metal hip replacement systems have been linked to a high failure rate and were recalled by DePuy Orthopaedics a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson.
Hip Implant Attorney
Recall DePuy Hip Replacement
Johnson Johnson has issued a massive recall of DePuy ASR hip replacement implants. If you received hip implant surgery, you could be the victim of a defective device. Contact Attorney Lisa Douglas, RN, JD. If you or a family member have received a DePuy hip replacement, you may be entitled to compensation. Visit HIPReplacements.us
