The following products are affected by the DePuy recall:
- ASR™ XL Acetabular System
- DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System
Why is DePuy recalling the ASR™ Hip System?
DePuy ASR Recall | Attorney | Injury Lawyer | Pennsylvania According to the information available on DePuy.com, data shows that approximately 12% of patients (1 in 8 ) who had received the ASR resurfacing device needed to have revisionary surgery five years after their surgery. Revisionary surgery was also required for 13% of patients that received the ASR total hip replacement.
The DePuy ASR™ Hip Implant System is a metal-on-metal design, which by today’s standard is viewed as less than optimal. After time, these metal parts can wear, causing small particles of metal to shed into the body. Doctors have been treating more and more of these cases in recent years, as is mentioned in this story by the NY Times.
What are the Symptoms that I should watch for?
Symptoms include pain, swelling, and problems walking. These symptoms are normal after hip replacement. However, if these symptoms persist or come back after subsiding, it is a sign that there may be a problem such as:
- Loosening – when the implant does not stay attached to the bone in the correct position
- Fracture – where the bone surrounding the implant may have broken
- Dislocation – When the two parts of the implant that move against each other are no longer properly aligned
DePuy has stated that it intends to "cover reasonable and customary costs of testing and treatment if you need services, including revision surgery, associated with the recall of ASR" but product liability lawyers recommend that patients contact an attorney prior to accepting any compensation. An experienced product liability attorney at Freeburn Law can make sure that your rights are protected and that you get the compensation you deserve.
One interesting note is that DePuy decided to discontinue the ASR system in 2009 due to it’s declining demand. An obvious need to focus their efforts on more modern resurfacing techniques.
