Hip Implant Complaints Increased Largely
Monday, October 31st, 2011The New York Times August 22, 2011 issue indicates a surge in number of complaints on artificial hip implants. An analysis of federal data showed that since the beginning of this year, the Food and Drug Administration has received more than 5,000 reports of hip device failure. All-metal hip devices are associated with some complications like metallosis based on the symptoms manifested by its recipients. Patients who have received DePuy ASR are complaining of DePuy hip recall symptoms, giving the device the biggest number of complaints.
Generally, a hip replacement device lasts roughly for 15 years, however, complaints show that the hips begin to fail after only a few years. Revision rates of hip devices within 5 years are around 13 percent, based on a new unpublished data of the UK joint ministry. Patients who have had a metal-on-metal hip removed or are undergoing such procedure accounts majority of the filings made.
According to the Times review, DePuy ASR accounts for 75 percent of the accumulated hip complaints, a shocking figure considering the number of complaints the report showed. Because of this, DePuy ASR has proven to be one of the most problematic all-metal hip devices. Nevertheless, the US FDA is having a hard time determining the exact number of complaints because their reporting system is overlapping and some complaints was from outside the US.
As stated in the FDA guidelines, many all-metal devices were sold under the 510 (k) approval process. Devices released under this process were not tested on patients prior to its market release and its manufacturers are not required to keep track of its performance. Producers are to make a study on the frequency of device failure and to determine its threat to patients, per order of the FDA.
Total complaints of this year are more than the sum total of the complaints of the previous four years. With this, it can be assumed that serious health issues continue to be a concern even as researchers struggle to investigate the danger it brings to patients. In effect, many surgeons go away with using all-metal hip implants on their patients. These surgeons opted to use hip implants that are safer to use instead of exposing new patients to the potential threats of MoM hip devices. Major health threats, like DePuy hip recall, can be prevented; therefore, patients are advised to seek medical help from orthopedic surgeon before and after a hip replacement surgery.