DePuy ASR Hip Lawsuit Attorneys Representing Revision Surgery Patients
DePuy ASR hip implant product liability lawsuits have been consolidated in multidistrict litigation (MDL). If you want to be part of this litigation, contact our attorneys for a free consultation regrading a DePuy hip lawsuit. Attorney David Szerlag is our lead attorney for these cases.
The lawsuits against DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson were consolidated in MDL because they involve common questions of fact regarding injuries caused by DePuy’s recalled ASR XL Acetabular Hip Replacement System. The court appointed to preside over the pretrial proceedings for these lawsuits is the United States District Court for the District of Northern District of Ohio. This means cases filed in federal courts throughout the United States will be transferred to the Ohio court for pretrial proceedings. This is like a DePuy and J & J hip class action lawsuit, but it only involves pretrial proceedings.
The purposes of this transfer of the DePuy ASR hip implant product liability lawsuits is to centralize the pretrial process:
- to prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings
- to conserve the resources of the parties, their counsel and the judiciary.
Our attorneys are representing several people who needed hip revision surgery to remove a defective DePuy ASR system. Contact our attorneys for a free consultation if you or a loved one:
- has had hip revision surgery to remove a DePuy ASR hip replacement system
- needs to have hip revision surgery to replace a DePuy ASR hip implant.
If you will be having surgery to remove a DePuy ASR hip replacement system, you should contact our attorneys as soon as possible because we need to take measures to retain the ASR hip after it is removed. This is called the hip explant, and it can be used as evidence against DePuy and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson.
States: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
DePuy Hip Recall Lawsuit: Product Liability Attorney Video
Our product liability attorneys are representing several people who have suffered harm as a result of the recalled DePuy metal-on-metal hip implants. Several of our clients have undergone or need to undergo revision surgery. The FDA recently issued a concern regarding metal-on-metal hip implants. The concern outlines the problems with these products and how they are injuring patients. In the video below, Attorney Fred Pritzker discusses the FDA concern and the options you have if you have a DePuy hip implant.
Below is an excerpt of the FDA concerns:
Because the metal ball and the metal cup slide against each other during walking or running, some tiny metal particles may wear off of the device and enter into the space around the implant. Some of the metal ions from the metal implant or from the metal particles may even get into the bloodstream.
Orthopaedic surgeons take several precautions before and during the implantation surgery to try to optimize the way in which the ball and socket rub against each other so that fewer wear particles are produced. However, there is no way to fully avoid the production of metal particles.
Different people will react to these metal particles in different ways. At this time, it is not possible to know who will experience a reaction, what type of reaction they might have, when the reaction will occur, or how severe the reaction will be. However, it is known that over time, the metal particles around some implants can cause damage to bone and/or tissue surrounding the implant and joint. This is sometimes referred to as an “adverse local tissue reaction (ALTR)” or an “adverse reaction to metal debris (ARMD).” Such a reaction may cause the implant to become loose or cause pain. Ultimately this can require a revision surgery where the old device is removed and replaced with another one.
In addition to these reactions to metal near the joint and implant, there are some case reports in the literature of a small number of patients in which high levels of metal ions in the bloodstream may have caused other types of symptoms or illnesses elsewhere in the body, including effects on the heart, nervous system, and thyroid gland.
Patients who have MoM hip implants should be aware of potential symptoms which may occur after surgery and indicate that their device is not functioning properly. Common symptoms may include:
- Pain in the groin, hip or leg
- Swelling at or near the hip joint
- A limp or change in walking ability
There are many reasons why any of these symptoms may arise or worsen after surgery and it does not necessarily mean that a reaction to the metal particles from the device is taking place. A thorough evaluation by an orthopaedic surgeon is needed to determine the actual cause. Besides a physical exam of the hip, the orthopaedic surgeon may consider several tests to evaluate these symptoms including:
- Special imaging tests
- Using a needle to remove fluid from around the joint (joint aspiration)
- Blood tests, including checking levels of metal ions in the blood
Patients who receive a MoM hip implant should also pay close attention to changes in their general health or new symptoms outside their hip including symptoms related to their:
- Heart (chest pain, shortness of breath)
- Nerves (numbness, weakness, change in vision or hearing)
- Thyroid (fatigue, feeling cold, weight gain)
- Kidney (change in urination habits)
For a free consultation regarding a DePuy hip lawsuit, contact an attorney at Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-277-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.
FDA Cites New Concerns About Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Systems
On February 10, 2011, the FDA issued an update on the concerns related to metal-on-metal (MoM) hip implant systems, similar to the DePuy ASR hip system that has been recalled. They have devoted an entire section of their website to address the associated risks and supply information to patients and health care professionals.
All artificial hip replacement systems have risks related to the surgical procedure itself and the function and wear of the implant. The metal-on-metal hip replacement systems have unique risks in addition to the general risks of a hip replacement procedure. Any prospective metal-on-metal hip implant patient should be informed of these additional risks:
- Elevated metal ion levels in and around the joint.
- Elevated metal ion levels in the blood.
- Potential development of allergic reaction to the metal, which could include rash, lesions, lumps and tissue necrosis (cell death).
- Development of systemic events related to elevated metal ion levels, including symptoms related to heart, nerves, thyroid and kidneys.
- The potential for and risks of revision surgery.
The FDA also enumerated reasons for disqualification from receiving the metal-on-metal hip implant system.
- Patients with chronic kidney disease or kidney failure
- Patients with known metal sensitivity (e.g. cobalt, chromium, nickel)
- Patients with suppressed immune systems
- Patients currently receiving high doses of corticosteroids
- Females of childbearing age
Last year the U.K. recommended blood tests and imaging for patients with painful MoM hip implants. Because some of the devices available in U.K. are not marketed in U.S. and the FDA does not know the frequency of the severe reactions described above, the FDA is not recommending checking metal ion levels in the blood or special imaging if U.S. patients with MoM hip implants have none of the adverse symptoms described above.
The FDA is in the process of gathering additional information about adverse events in people with metal-on-metal hip implants.
DePuy ASR Hip Recall Lawsuit: Testing and Treatment for DePuy ASR Hip Patients
If you had a total hip replacement using a DePuy ASR™ XL Acetabular System, your doctor may have sent you a letter explaining that these hip implants have been recalled. This product is defective and will require medical monitoring until the implant is removed. Because of this, all patients who had the recalled DePuy ASR implanted may have a claim against DePuy for money damages.
Contact our attorneys about a DePuy hip lawsuit. You should do this before you send in the DePuy medical form.
DePuy Hip Replacement Testing and Treatment Procedures
- You will go to your doctor for a clinical assessment and radiographic evaluation.
- If you or your doctor is concerned about the DePuy hip, blood testing for cobalt and chromium ion levels in whole blood may be performed as part of the follow up, and/or an MRI or ultrasound, if necessary.
- You should be given a blood test to determine if you have high cobalt and chromium ion levels. If you are having symptoms (pain, swelling, problems walking), you may need an MRI or ultrasound.
- If either metal ion (cobalt or chromium) concentration is above 7 parts per billion (ppb), a second blood metal ion test (both cobalt and chromium) should be performed three months after the first if no symptoms are present.
- If the metal ion concentration is again above 7ppb, you may need an MRI or ultrasound, even if you do not have symptoms.
- If your MRI or ultrasound scan reveals soft tissue reactions, fluid collections or tissue masses, then you may need revision surgery.
- If metal ions are less than 7ppb and/or MRI or ultrasound are within normal values, you should be evaluated on an annual basis for at least the first five years after your DePuy hip was implanted. If you or your doctor continues to be concerned about your DePuy hip, metal ion testing may be conducted on an annual basis.
Attorney Fred Pritzker is listed in the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers, a publication of U.S. News and World Report.
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DePuy Hip Implant Recall Lawsuit
Our law firm is representing people who have a recalled DePuy hip implant. Our clients have experienced pain and difficulty walking. Contact our law firm to participate in a DePuy hip implant recall lawsuit.
