A Tennessee-based medical device company has issued a recall for a prosthetic part used in hip joint replacement surgeries. According to one news source, the recall is a Class I recall. Class I recalls are issued when there is a reasonable probability that continued use of the device will cause serious health problems or even death.
The part is one of three prosthetic parts used in a total hip replacement surgery. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the part has been fracturing more than anticipated after surgical implantation. If a fracture occurs, patients may suffer from an array of symptoms, including pain, instability, and trouble walking. Fractures may also require emergency surgery to replace and repair the broken part. This is called revision surgery, which is often more complex and risky than original hip replacement surgery.
As a result of the recall, the company has informed product distributors, hospital personnel, and surgeons to cease selling and using the recalled part. The company has also recommended that patients immediately contact their doctor if they experience sudden pain, instability, difficulty walking, tingling, or a loss of feeling in the surgical leg. For patients not experiencing any of these symptoms, the company does not recommend following up with a medical professional at this time.
Companies May Be Liable for Defective Joint Replacement Parts
Joint replacement surgeries are quite common these days, especially knee and hip replacements. In many ways, hip and joint replacements have prolonged the quality of life for both young and old. Without a new hip or knee, many of these patients would walk with a limp, pain, or both. Some would be unable to walk at all.
Fortunately, advances in joint replacement surgery have removed much of the fear associated with getting a new hip or knee. Most people who undergo hip or knee replacement surgery feel improvement after the surgery within just a few weeks, and many are walking long distances and pain-free within months.
Sometimes, however, problems arise. Surgeons are very skilled, but even the best commit errors during joint replacement surgeries, especially when a complex revision is involved. If an error is made because the surgeon or another hospital staff member fails to act with reasonable care, and that failure causes an injury to a patient, the patient may be able to receive monetary compensation.
In addition, if a joint replacement part is defective, like the part that fractured in the hip replacement system that was recently recalled, a patient who is injured because of the fracture may be eligible to receive monetary compensation, even if nobody was at fault. Removing the fault requirement in medical device design defect cases is intended to encourage medical device manufactures to design and manufacture only the safest products. Most of the time, eliminating the fault requirement has its intended effect. When it doesn’t, though, a patient may be able to recover for the injuries incurred as a result of the defective device.
Have You Been Injured During Surgery or By a Medical Professional?
At Moll Law Group, our lawyers want the best for anyone who undergoes joint replacement surgery. These surgeries, while successful most the of time, are painful enough, even when nothing goes wrong. But when something does go wrong, either because a surgeon doesn’t take reasonable care or a part used in the surgery is defective, patients deserve to be compensated if they are injured. The attorneys at Moll Law Group are committed to your recovery. We are committed to understanding your injuries and what, if anything, could have been done differently during the course of your treatment. We also want to help you get better and recover what you deserve, and we have the experience, knowledge, and desire to do what is necessary for your case. For a free consultation, call us at (312) 462-1700.
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