TYPES OF PROSTHETIC DEVICE FAILURE
Many artificial hips, knees and other implanted medical devices have been recalled because of premature failure or other complications, including the likelihood that an implant will cause harm as it degrades. In addition to potential harm caused by the device itself, removal of a faulty prosthetic device subjects the patient to the risk of additional surgery, as well as the pain, inconvenience and expense of the procedure.
The products liability lawyers of Burch, George & Germany help Oklahoma residents who have been injured by defective prosthetic devices. We can advise you about the potential for obtaining compensation in your case free of charge. Call or contact us online today.
Common Medical Device Failures
Hundreds of thousands of recipients of certain medical devices have suffered implant failure and worse. In addition, an implanted medical device carries general surgical risk, including infection, as well as the possibility of a reaction to the materials used in implants. Some prominent prosthetic device failures have included:
- Degradation of the device. Metal-on-metal hip implants made by Stryker, DePuy Orthopaedics and Biomet have been found to shed metal fibers as the ball-and-socket joint moves in the patient’s body. This can lead to a serious medical condition called “metallosis,” in which metal fibers damage and eventually kill surrounding tissue. This causes the device to move from its proper position and fail. Left untreated, metallosis may cause heart and kidney damage, and neurological changes. Breast implants, which are sacs filled with silicone or saline, also frequently fail when they rupture, leak and deflate after implantation. Smith and Nephew initiated a recall of the metal liners of the R3 Acetabular system because of a higher than expected number of revision surgeries associated with used of the device in hip replacements, according to the FDA.
- Loss of function. Components of artificial knees manufactured by DePuy Orthopaedics, Stryker and Zimmer have come loose inside patients’ legs, which causes pain, loss of mobility and damage to surrounding tissue. The DePuy LPS Diaphyseal Sleeve, a product used in reconstructive knee surgery, has been recalled after reports of the sleeve breaking apart. This can lead to infection, damage to soft tissue around the implant site, loss of function of the limb, or the eventual need to amputate the leg.
- Perforation of surrounding tissue. Transvaginal mesh products, also known as gynecologic surgical mesh, are implanted to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP), a condition in which organs in the pelvic area push against the walls of the vagina, and stress urinary incontinence (SUI), a condition caused by weakened bladder muscles. Shortly after its introduction to the market, transvaginal mesh was found to move within patients’ bodies, pushing through the vaginal wall, which caused pain and sometimes pelvic hemorrhage and bladder perforation. Thousands of women have experienced complications from pelvic mesh products and many have had to undergo repeated surgeries.
Contact Our Faulty Medical Device Lawyers
If you have received a prosthetic device that has failed or been recalled, you may be eligible to obtain compensation for your medical expenses as well as for your pain, suffering and other associated losses. The product liability lawyers of Burch, George & Germany, P.C., can review the circumstances of your case and determine whether you have a valid legal claim.
Are you thinking about filing a defective medical device lawsuit? Call us or contact us online today for a free and confidential initial legal consultation about your prosthetic device failure.
More Information:
- Information for Patients Who Have Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- DePuy Orthopaedics LPS Diaphyseal Sleeve: Class I Recall, FDA
- Surgical placement of mesh to repair pelvic organ prolapse poses risks, FDA