DePuy ASR Hip Recall | Metal on Metal Hip Replacement Blog

DePuy Patients Getting Stuck With The Bill To Fix Their Recalled Hip Implants

2012-01-02T13:35:00.000-05:00

A warning to patients with the recalled DePuy ASR hip: You may get stuck with the bill for the surgery to fix your defective hip implant. A recent NY Time article details problems with DePuy's plan to cover these costs:

"Things have not gone smoothly for everyone who has taken DePuy’s payment offer. One patient, Paula Laverty, received a hospital bill for $41,578 and a call from the facility warning her that the bill would be turned over soon to a collection agency. Ms. Laverty, of Cape Elizabeth, Me., said she spent weeks calling the firm handling claims related to DePuy’s A.S.R. She said she eventually learned that the implant maker had paid the hospital $18,000 for her replacement procedure and that the $41,578 represented the remaining charges." NY Times Article: The High Cost Of Failing Artificial Hips

It's a tough situation for many patients who need immediate surgery to replace the bad ASR Hip. Afterwards, they face mounting medical bills from hospitals, surgeons, and even their own insurance companies. According to the NY Times article,

"Insurers are alerting patients that they plan to recover their expenses from any settlement money that patients receive. Medicare is also expected to try to recover its costs."

DePuy's offer to "reimburse" patients falls short of what they deserve. Covering basic costs of surgery and testing is nothing compared to the anguish and pain that these devices have caused, especially since DePuy and Johnson and Johnson had some indication of a problem with the DePuy ASR years before the recall.

Before you contact DePuy, we urge you to talk to an experienced metal on metal hip recall attorney. The process of getting reimbursed is complicated and can force the patient to give up their legal rights in order to get their medical bills paid.

For more information, please contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Alliance at (877) 284-6600.

DePuy Orthopaedics Laying Off US Workers But Showing Huge Profits Despite Worldwide Hip Recall

2011-10-06T11:34:00.001-04:00

DePuy's International Sales Up %15

Big changes ahead for employees at DePuy Orthopaedics in Warsaw, Indiana. The company announced that it will layoff workers in the near future, according to reports from several Indiana business news websites and a statement from DePuy. No word yet on how many jobs will be cut or when the layoffs will take place. DePuy says it's restructuring its workforce to support higher growth areas of its business.

The company isn't seeing much growth in US sales. This week DePuy posted a 1.5% third quarter loss in US sales according to parent company, Johnson & Johnson. However, international sales of DePuy's medical devices more than made up for the losses, with an astounding 15.3% increase.

So DePuy's bottom line doesn't appear to be suffering much even after its worldwide ASR hip recall. Johnson & Johnson reported that they spent $109 million in DePuy ASR hip recall litigation expenses during third quarter. Despite those costs, DePuy and Johnson & Johnson are still showing sizable profits selling orthopedic joint replacements worldwide, reporting over $1.3 BILLION dollars in sales.

This Q3 report comes as a slap in the face to the thousands of patients with defective DePuy ASR hip implants. While DePuy racks up sales and income, ASR patients are dealing with pain and uncertainty about their own medical and financial future.

If you have questions, visit the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance website.

DePuy Recall Patients: Beware of a Company Called Broadspire

2011-08-30T15:13:00.000-04:00

Johnson & Johnson would love to settle your artificial hip recall claims. They've just hired a company called Broadspire to take care of the details. All you have to do is hand over your rights.

It's a controversial move by Johnson & Johnson in the DePuy Hip recall. They've hired Broadspire to act like an insurance company would. Broadspire collects medical records, sends out complicated forms to fill out and sign, and their adjustors even decide if a patient qualifies for another surgery. Any hip recall patient who follows these procedures could do more harm to themselves than they realize.

Don't allow Broadspire, Johnson and Johnson, or DePuy to decide if you need another hip implant. You and your doctor are the only ones who should make that decision. Don't give them your private medical records either. The information they want can be used against you later on if you decide to go to court.

It is important to understand that Broadspire is NOT YOUR insurance company. In fact, they aren't an insurance company at all. Broadspire was hired to manage the DePuy ASR hip recall for Johnson & Johnson, not for you. Their bottom line mission is to control costs for Johnson & Johnson.

If you have questions about what to do next, visit the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance website.

Complaints to the FDA About Metal on Metal Hip Implants Hit All Time High

2011-08-23T07:49:00.003-04:00

More bad news for metal on metal hip implant patients. A NY Times article uncovers a huge surge in the number of patients filing complaints with the FDA about their hips. Most of those complaints are focused on the DePuy ASR hip replacement systems. Here's a link to the article: NY Times: Hip Implant Complaints Surge, Even as the Dangers Are Studied

In addition, click on this link for information about the effects of metal debris and metal poisoning levels on patients with the DePuy ASR hip.

A New Report Calls the Controversial FDA Process that Approved the Recalled DePuy ASR Hip Implant "Flawed."

2011-07-30T22:49:00.000-04:00

This week the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) called for the FDA to completely scrap its controversial 510(k) clearance for medical devices and replace it with a more comprehensive system. A report in the Chicago Times shows just how strongly the IOM feels about the process' weaknesses:

'"What we are recommending is that the 510(k) is fatally flawed in terms of it not evaluating safety and effectiveness of a device," said Dr. David Challoner, chairman of the IOM's committee.'

Currently companies can introduce and sell new medical devices without going through any sort of simple testing phase. The device only has to be "substantially equivalent" to a previously approved one. That's the loophole used over and over by medical device makers like DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. to get their newest products on the market quickly.

The ASR hip implant recall fiasco is a glaring example of how less testing and more marketing hurts patients. More than 90,000 of these "substantially equivalent" hip replacements have been recalled. Clearly, these devices are nowhere near "equivalent" in quality and effectiveness to anything else that the FDA may have green-lighted earlier in DePuy's approval chain.

The 510(k) process may be misleading patients into believing that "approval" means these products have gone through clinical trials, as one patient explained in a recent L.A. Times column by Christine Mai-Duc:

"I thought that any medical device that was actually being put into people's bodies had been extensively tested before it was released to the public," said Ayers.
Not exactly. "

Ironically, the FDA asked the Institutes of Medicine to review the 510(k) process and give their recommendations. What good is asking for advice, if you're not going to take it?

The FDA's Vicious Cycle of Money, Power, and Pain

2011-07-18T10:19:00.002-04:00

The FDA is in a financial fight for its life, and the outcome could cost many patients theirs. The agency is supposed to protect Americans from dangerous and defective medical products, but it hasn't done such a great job lately. Huge budget cuts for the FDA could make things a lot worse.

Back in 1992 the US government passed a bill allowing the FDA to supplement its budget by taking money from the industry it's supposed to police. What a tremendous conflict of interest. Now the FDA will have to rely even more on the cash it can rake in from big businesses in the medical industry. It's a relationship that gives companies like Johnson & Johnson incredible influence over the decisions made by the FDA.

The recent recalls of metal on metal hip replacements, like the DePuy ASR, shows that the FDA is letting too many problems slip through the cracks without enough accountability. Right now the FDA has a gaping hole in its product approval system. It's called a 510k approval, and it allows manufacturers like DePuy to slide new devices through the FDA's system by claiming their products are simple modifications of previously approved devices. No testing. No accountability. No problem getting approved. That's what happened with the ASR hip implant. The result is a worldwide recall for a medical device that doesn't work like it's supposed to.

The FDA is involved in a vicious cycle of money and influence, and until that circle is broken, American patients will continue to be the victims.

Metal On Metal Hip Replacements- Who's Bright Idea Was This, Anyway?

2011-07-14T14:17:00.002-04:00

What happens when you rub two pieces of metal together, over and over and over? You get wear and tear. You get metal shavings. You get debris. When you put those two pieces of metal inside your body in a hip replacement, you get the same result: metal debris. That's why there's a growing concern over metal ion release for patients with Metal on Metal (MoM) hip implants like the DePuy ASR.

Anyone who's bought a new car knows that you have to change the oil after the first few hundred miles until the engine is "broken in" to clean out the metal shavings that come off the new parts. It's the same for metal on metal hip cup implants. The constant grinding, shifting, and turning leads to metal ion debris. Unfortunately, you can't just change the "oil" in your body. You are stuck with the metal floating around inside you, and that could lead to other medical problems like metalosis.

Originally, hip implants were designed with a metal ball made of cobalt and chromium and a plastic cup to act as the hip socket. It was very effective and used for years. In fact, a recent New York Times article by Barry Meier reports that metal on metal implants were abandoned in the early years because "tests found that patients had metal particles in their blood or organs, raising concerns about long-term health risks like cancer." The article goes on to say:

"By 1996, Jonathan Black, an industry consultant and professor emeritus of bioengineering at Clemson University, warned in a medical journal article that the metal-on-metal design posed significant risks because little was known about the biological havoc that metallic debris might cause. He also argues that given the high success rate of existing designs, it would be statistically impossible to run enough studies to prove the new implants’ supposed superiority."

So why did orthopedic companies try to fix what wasn't broken? Maybe they though they were innovating. Maybe the need to market a "new" product drove the companies to ignore the science. Either way, thousands of patients around the world are now in pain, or worried about their future health. Companies like DePuy should be held accountable for the impact of their products on people's lives, because there is nothing innovative about creating something "new" that's already broken.

For more information contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600.

Warning For DePuy ASR Hip Implant Patients: High Metal Levels Reported in Bloodstream

2011-06-23T15:06:00.001-04:00

There's growing concern over elevated levels of cobalt and chromium in patients with DePuy ASR metal on metal hip implants. All patients with these recalled metal on metal hip replacements should be evaluated for the level of serum cobalt and chromium in their system. In a recent article published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, orthopedic surgeon Stephen Tower M.D. explains:

A serum cobalt level of > 7 mg/L indicates possible periprosthetic metallosis. A normal serum cobalt level is .19 mg/L and 95% of those who are unexposed to cobalt have a value of <.41 mg/L. A serum cobalt level of > 1 mg/L indicates excessive cobalt exposure, and levels of >5 mg/L are considered toxic.

It is important to remember that slightly elevated levels are normal for patients who have metal-on-metal hip implants. Slightly elevated levels may not be a major cause for concern, but excessively elevated levels are very alarming. There's been very little research conducted to determine long-term effects of elevated metal ion levels.

DePuy Orthopedics, Inc. has released a report stating that concentrations greater than 7 parts per billion of cobalt and/or chromium are of concern. If either is the case, you should get another blood test within three months of the first one. If the second blood test shows a concentration of cobalt and chromium still above 7 parts per billion, your doctor will likely recommend a MARS MRI and/or ultrasound and more testing.

Even with no physical symptoms, your body could still be facing health issues for years to come associated with the recalled ASR hip implant.

For more information about the ASR Hip Recall and the symptoms associated with the hip's failure rate, go to www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

Are Those Horns Coming Out Of A DePuy ASR Hip Implant?

2011-05-31T12:48:00.004-04:00

Notice the Spikes on the ASR 300

While thousands of people may consider the recalled ASR hip replacement wicked because of problems with loosening, metal debris and a host of other issues, we never expected it to actually have evil horns! So how did the ASR 300 end up with spikes coming out of it? And what are they for? Here's what we know.

On October 29, 2007, two years after getting FDA premarket approval for the ASR hip implant system, DePuy returned to the FDA for approval of a newer version of their ASR line. DePuy claimed that new version, the ASR 300 was comparable to the original ASR except for one design change: Three spikes were added to the top of the acetabular cup. But in the application, DePuy isn’t clear about why they would need to change the ASR design. Here's a quote that attempt to explain it:

"The cups feature three spikes for adjunct fixation and are available in ten sizes. The subject device is identical in design to the acetabular cups cleared as part of the DePuy ASRTM Modular Acetabular Cup System in K040627 on August 5, 2005 with the addition of spikes on the outer surface of the cup."

The executive summary of the new product goes on to further describe the role of the three spikes, explaining that "the spikes are intended to pierce the bone of the acetabulum and provide immediate fixation in addition to the interference (frictional) fit achieved by underreaming the acetabulum."

As amusing as the x-ray photo may look, the very serious problem with this product is in the approval process. It required no performance testing before going on sale because this hip device was not an entirely new product, only a modification of the existing ASR acetabular implant. As a modification, it was classified under the special provisions of the 510(k) process. But that's not all. The original ASR implant was also given premarket approval using the same 510(k) process.

The question really should be "how many times can you adapt and revise a previously approved medical device before it's no longer the same product that was originally approved?"

By the way, the ASR 300 is also among the line of DePuy hip implants recalled last year worldwide.

For more information go to the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance website or contact them toll free at 877-284-6700.

A Whopping Pay Raise for J&J CEO While ASR Patients Worry About Their Futures

2011-05-02T14:47:00.001-04:00

Johnson & Johnson's shareholders approve a healthy executive compensation plan for the company's top executive: A $28.7 million dollar salary deal for CEO Bill Weldon. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, "61% of all shares voted were in favor of J&J's pay policies." This comes after a series of high profile product recalls in recent years, including the devastating worldwide recall of the DePuy ASR hip system.

But Johnson & Johnson is not letting the DePuy recall slow down its growth in the medical products market. According to the Associated Press, last week Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $21 billion dollars to buy Synthesis, a Swiss medical device maker in one of the corporations largest purchases ever. AP reporter Frank Jordans cites a recent statement made by CEO Bill Weldon: "Orthopedics is a large and growing $37 billion global market and represents an important growth driver for Johnson & Johnson.

With so much money at stake, it's no surprise that DePuy continued marketing their cash cow orthopedic hip product for such a long time after orthopedic experts warned that the ASR hip had serious problems. Which just goes to show that your orthopedic problems are big business to DePuy and J&J.

For more information contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877)284-6600

FDA Posts ASR Hip Recall Notices Months After Worldwide Voluntary Recall by Depuy.

2011-04-07T16:20:00.000-04:00

Almost 8 months ago DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. issued a worldwide recall of its ASR hip implant system. So why did the FDA wait until last week to quietly post ASR recall notices on its website for dozens of the DePuy ASR Hip implants?

On March 24, 2011 the FDA website listed 68 recall records for various versions of the DePuy ASR hip implants. Back on July 17, 2010 the FDA also issued a recall notice for the DePuy ASR 100 Acetabular implant. Below is the reason given by the FDA for the July 2010 recall:

    "Notification to clinicians of new revision rate data/information regarding the use of the device. As part of the post-market surveillance, DePuy is continually evaluating data from a variety of sources including national joint replacement registries, published literature, company sponsored clinical trials, internal complaints data and unpublished clinical research reports...

    DePuy Orthopaedics issued a Field Safety Notice to share the new data with surgeons and to reiterate the importance of correct implant positioning and patient selection in achieving optimal implant performance and survivorshop [sic]."

In the fall of 2009 and in March of 2010 DePuy publicly said they were discontinuing sales of the ASR hip system. If that was really the case, then why would DePuy need to "reiterate the importance of correct implant positioning..." in their July 2010 recall notice? Once they stopped selling the ASR and pulled it from the market, no surgeons should have been implanting this hip replacement anyway.

In the July Recall, DePuy also states that they are "continually evaluating data from a variety of sources including national joint replacement registries."   If DePuy was actually monitoring this information as they say, they must have known about the high rate of ASR failures as indicated by the Australian Registry back in 2007. Yet they continued to sell and aggressively market the product in the United States until 2010. That's 3 years worth of "evaluating data" before they finally decided to recall the ASR.

So why is the FDA only NOW posting this detailed recall information 8 months after the high profile worldwide recall by DePuy?

We have several emails out to the FDA public affairs office to find out more. We'll let you know what they say and find out if there is any further reason for concern for the almost 100,000 people with a recalled DePuy ASR hip implant.

Contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance for more information about how you should proceed with a claim if you have one of these bad hips.

DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. President Resigns Leaving Hip Recall Mess Behind

2011-03-10T13:13:00.003-05:00

The president of Johnson & Johnson's DePuy Orthopedics is quitting, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Bloomberg News. David Floyd turned in his resignation last week and plans to leave the company at the end of this month.

His sudden departure comes just months after DePuy Orthopaedics recalled its ASR XL Acetabular hip system in August 2010. The recall was triggered because of unusually high failure rates--around 13% of all patients with the DePuy ASR hips needed at least a second surgery to fix problems with the hip implant.

David Floyd became president of DePuy in 2007. Floyd also spent time as a top executive at Zimmer Holdings, Inc. Zimmer is the maker of the Durom Hip Implant, which stopped sales of the Durom Metasul hip cup in July 2008 because patients were also reporting problems with those hip implants.

Back in 2007 the Ft. Wayne Indiana Journal Gazette reported on Floyd's first week on the job, writing that "expectations are high for the industry veteran with local connections who is expected to improve growth and innovation at the company."

The New York Times reports that DePuy racked up a $280 million dollar charge in their 4th quarter to pay for the recall and the company faces more than 500 lawsuits from patients. That number is expected to grow as more people begin experiencing problems from the bad ASR hip implants. Now 4 years after Floyd took over, DePuy finds itself in the middle of a medical product liability nightmare with no one yet named to permanently take the helm of the company.

Follow this link for more information about the DePuy ASR Hip Implant Recall.

Scary Statistic About Medical Device Recall Rates and the FDA's Approval Process

2011-02-22T15:42:00.000-05:00

TIME Magazine printed this statistic in their Health & Science section this week.

"71% Percentage of recalled medical devices that had been granted US FDA approval under an expedited review process for new products that are similar to existing, already tested and approved ones. " TIME, February 28, 2011

It was a small blurb in the lower corner of the magazine's glossy page, but the significance of it could justify a front page story, especially for anyone with a DePuy Hip Implant or a Zimmer Hip Replacement. Both of these medical devices were approved for sale in the US by the FDA. Now both are recalled and patients are suffering. It's all because of a loophole used by many medical device manufacturers to get their product on the market with little or no clinical testing. The FDA's 510(k) rule allows these manufacturers to skip over extensive testing procedures if their products is substantially similar to something that's already been approved.

With a 71% recall rate, there's something very wrong with this process. Johnson & Johnson and Zimmer have used these loopholes to push through defective products. But when things go bad because of a lack of clinical testing, thousands of patients are left in limbo wondering how something so wrong could have made its way into their bodies. If you are one of the victims of the DePuy or Zimmer recalls, it's very important that you know what to do next. Find an experienced medical product liability attorney because this isn't a fight you should take on by yourself.

The FDA Kind-of Sort-of Warns Patients about Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants

2011-02-21T11:12:00.002-05:00

Recently the FDA posted a lukewarm warning about metal debris in patients with metal-on-metal hip implants like the DePuy ASR Hip. It's not exactly a resounding call to action, but at least it's a start.
The warning itself doesn't give many specifics:

"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 type of side effects might be particularly important for patients with the DePuy ASR Hip Implant. If these implants loosen or get out of alignment, excessive metal wear is certainly something to keep an eye on. Yet another cause for "concern," as the FDA puts it.

If you have a DePuy ASR hip implant, you really need to make an appointment with your orthopedic surgeon to make sure everything is okay, even if you don't have symptoms. That checkup should include blood tests even though the FDA says there's no reason to check for metal ion levels in your blood if you don't have symptoms. At this point, patients with a recalled hip inside their bodies should go along with the saying, "better safe than sorry."

Click on these links for more information about: the DePuy ASR Hip Recall, Blood Testing for Metal Ions in Recalled DePuy ASR Hip Implants, and the FDA's Concerns about Metal on Metal Hip Implants.

Q&A #5 The DePuy ASR Hip Recall: How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?

2011-02-08T11:16:00.001-05:00

Patients with a recalled DePuy ASR hip have a very limited time period to file a claim against the company who made the bad implant. Your case may be under a statute of limitation, and that means time could be running out if you plan to file a claim against DePuy. Even if you don't have any symptoms right now, you should still talk with an experienced MEDICAL Product Liability attorney about your case to find out what could happen in the future.

News Report on the Depuy ASR Hip Recall and the Impact on Patient's Lives

2010-12-21T20:34:00.001-05:00

Re-posted news article below with how patients are dealing with the DePuy ASR Hip Recall. It's amazing to hear the emotional stories of what these patients have had to go through once they discover their DePuy hip implant is the cause of their pain.

Click here for a direct link to the news article: The Enemy Within: When high-tech hip replacements hurt more than help

The Enemy Within: When high-tech hip replacements hurt more than help

Kathy Margenau of North Fort Myers was the victim of a hip implant that was later recalled.STAFF PHOTO / DAN WAGNER

By BARBARA PETERS SMITH

Published: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, December 20, 2010 at 1:30 p.m.
( page all of 6 )
After years of enduring chronic pain as she worked outdoors at her family's campground, Kathy Margenau was finally declared a candidate for hip replacement surgery. At 57, her doctor said, she could benefit from new medical advances that would give her more years of mobility. But instead of being delivered by the latest technology, Margenau said, she became one of its victims.

In June the North Fort Myers retiree -- with the help of a Sarasota attorney -- became the first plaintiff in the United States to sue the maker of her second hip implant, the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System. And on Aug. 25, the manufacturer announced an unprecedented worldwide recall.

In its recall letter, DePuy cited "new, unpublished 2010 data" from the National Joint Registry of England and Wales -- a database of surgical outcomes -- showing a 13 percent failure rate of its state-of-the-art, metal-on-metal device. Orthopedic surgeons say an acceptable maximum failure rate for a hip implant is closer to 3 percent.

Even now, it is not entirely clear why this particular implant comes loose from the pelvis -- and inflicts excruciating pain -- in some patients and not others. It could be a design flaw, or the body's reaction to metal debris, or a combination of both. Because the United States maintains no joint replacement registry, and the Food and Drug Administration relies on manufacturers' data to approve medical devices, there is no direct government oversight of joint replacement surgery.

Since the recall, litigation against DePuy has swelled. The company said some 93,000 of the devices have been sold worldwide, but gave no sales figures for the United States.

For Margenau, now 62 -- who had lived with a congenital hip deformity and was no stranger to pain -- this new device became an enemy within, attacking her with every step she took. "It just plain stops you dead in your tracks," she said, trying to describe the sensation of a hip replacement failure. "... The pain just travels down your whole leg."

When bone damage or arthritis makes a patient unable to walk, a total hip replacement can feel like a miracle. More than 193,000 such surgeries are performed each year in the United States, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The procedure has progressed dramatically from its crude beginnings in 1960, with new surgical techniques and technology that offer better mobility for longer periods of time. But the race to improve durability may be driving patients and their doctors to rely on a trial-and-error process, full of unknowns -- especially with metal-on-metal implants, developed to last longer and provide more range of motion for younger, active patients.

DePuy, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, makes several hip implants, and only the ASR has been recalled. Its withdrawal follows that of another metal-on-metal hip cup, the Durom made by Zimmer Holdings, taken off the market in July 2008 after 13,000 implantations. "Both Zimmer and DePuy have excellent reputations," said Altom Maglio, the Sarasota attorney who filed that first lawsuit for Margenau. "This is very much the exception to the rule. It's not an indictment of the whole joint replacement concept or industry. The ASR, unfortunately, looks like it is going to be a tremendous failure."

Johnson & Johnson answered the Herald-Tribune's request for comment by asking for a list of questions, to which it offered no response. The company's letter to physicians told them to contact clients who have the implant, saying "DePuy intends to cover reasonable and customary costs of monitoring and treatment for services, including revisions" associated with the recall.
But it remains unclear how this reimbursement will work.

Maglio, the Sarasota attorney, came to specialize in medical product liability law after working on a medical malpractice defense and becoming fascinated with its technological aspects. One quandary in this case, he said, is the vagueness of DePuy's offer to reimburse costs.
"How exactly do you recall a product that's been implanted in somebody's body?" asked Maglio, 38. "I don't even understand it."

In addition to Margenau, Maglio now has about 70 ASR clients. He was also the first attorney to file a lawsuit over the Zimmer Durom cup, which he said has "potentially a 30 percent failure rate." He expects the DePuy ASR failure rate to climb as news of the recall spreads.
"The recall does potentially pose a problem for people who have these things fail down the road," he said, "because I foresee a possibility of a defense being raised that everyone is on notice at this point that there's a defect with this product."

Maglio is only handling clients who have had their hip devices removed and replaced, because surgeons' findings are crucial in building a case. But he worries that patients whose implants have not yet failed may come up against a statute of limitations deadline. In Florida that would be four years from the August recall letter, but other states have a one-year limit. "There are exceptions" to these statutes, he said. "It's not black and white; it's definitely gray. But it still poses problems. It causes uncertainty. And uncertainty is always not helpful to someone with a potential case."

Hip replacement surgery is a violent assault on the body. Once the old joint is removed, the concave part of the pelvis that held it in place -- called an acetabulum, after the Latin word for a "little vinegar cup" -- is sanded down, and then the implant is forcibly jammed in, so that it can fuse to the pelvis. The operation is considered a last resort, after exercise, medication and physical therapy. "I don't replace hips so somebody can play tennis. I say, you can't play tennis? Take up Ping-Pong," said Dr. Edward J. Stolarski, a surgeon at Kennedy-White Orthopaedic Center in Sarasota. By his count, he has performed roughly 1,000 "revisions" -- surgeries to replace failed joint replacements. "We take a thing that looks like a cheese grater, and it makes the bone bleed," Stolarski explained. "You want bleeding bone. Then we take a cup that's a millimeter bigger, and pound it in. Your body heals to that cup, the same as if you had a broken bone. And if it doesn't, it's considered a failure, and it will move; it will be loose."

Joshua Hodge, 29, is a client of Maglio's who owns an architectural design firm in Tallahassee. He underwent hip replacement in September 2009, a year after a car accident shattered his acetabulum. His age made him a logical candidate for a metal-on-metal device. His doctor chose the DePuy ASR, less than a year before the recall.

"It's not like a recall of a car, where you can just take it back," Hodge said. "Hip surgery is amazingly painful. I thought I was tough until I went through this." After his hip replacement a year ago, Hodge said, "I noticed in November a huge area on my hip beginning to swell. ... By February I couldn't walk at all." His doctor was stumped, Hodge said, and "it crossed his mind that I just wanted more pain medicine." Maglio said he has heard similar stories from other clients, whose doctors could find nothing amiss from the usual tests. "I have a client in Orlando whose surgeon told her she should go see a psychiatrist," he said.

Fortunately for Margenau, her doctor believed her. Her first hip replacement in 2006 had been grueling but successful. The only difference with the second, in March 2008, was that this time her doctor had chosen to use the ASR. In December 2008, he told her the only way to find out what was wrong with the device was to take it out. "I do remember breaking down and crying in his office," said the normally stoic Margenau, "and he's looking around for his box of Kleenex to give me, and I said, 'I don't think I can do this for the third time.' My biggest fear was that he was not going to find anything."

Bill Margenau, her husband, remembered this as the low point. "There was such an anxiety about getting this done," he said. "She came out and said, 'I don't even want to do this.'"
Kathy Margenau said it might have been harder for him: "This poor man has been through a lot the last few years. When we went to the hospital this last time, he had sunglasses on, because he said, 'I think I'm going to cry.'"

There is no such thing as an easy revision, said Stolarski, the Sarasota surgeon.
"If I have to cut into your body, chisel out the whole cup -- or even if your old cup falls out -- re-ream it and put a new cup in, your risks for complications are even higher than they were at your first surgery," he said. "There are different levels of technical difficulty, but from the patient's perspective, none of this is simple."

After her revision, Margenau said, her doctor told her it was the first socket failure he had seen in 11 years of surgeries. And when she went in for a checkup in March 2010, she said, he told her something else: "He looked at me and said, 'There was a big article in The New York Times, and it has to do with that hip socket that I put into you.'" That was when DePuy acknowledged an Australian implant database showing a "higher-than-expected" failure rate, according to the Times.

The United States has had no such registry. But the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons created a pilot registry program last year in Illinois. And since the August recall, DePuy and seven other device makers have signed on to the academy's effort to create a registry that would cover 90 percent of U.S. hospitals.

While pointing out a need for safeguards against mining such data for litigation purposes, Stolarski said, "I think we need a registry, bottom line, so that things like this don't happen. It's kind of embarrassing that the most medically advanced country in the world has to look at other countries' registries to make clinical decisions here." Stolarski, who keeps a box of failed implants that he calls his "Island of Misfit Toys," said there are two separate issues with the DePuy ASR and Zimmer Durom. One is the cups' tendency to come loose.
"I think that they're getting a bite on the rim and it's appearing to the surgeon when he puts it in that it's well fixed," he said. "But there's enough micromotion that the body doesn't grow onto it. I just took a Durom out last week or the week before, and it looked like it just came out of the package."

The other concern is potential inflammation from the metals -- chromium and cobalt -- that can enter the bloodstream as debris from the grinding joint. In a small number of patients, this could lead to infection and tissue death. "It's kind of a chicken and egg problem," said Maglio. "Did the metal debris form because of the cup becoming loose, or did the metal debris cause the cup to become loose?"

Stolarski said he still recommends metal-on-metal for some young and active patients, but he is hopeful about a new option that uses a polyurethane liner inside the metal, and allows for a more flexible swivel action. He is waiting for this new device to establish a track record, he said.
"What we don't want to do is put new technology ahead of common sense," he said. "The FDA does a great job, but there's no way they can anticipate everything. ... Who would have thought there would be this much trouble with metal-on-metal in general? Nobody."
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DePuy Orthopaedics Paying Surgeons Cash for Copies of YOUR Medical Records

2010-12-02T17:34:00.001-05:00

Astonishing news about what DePuy is willing to pay to get your medical records. A recent letter from DePuy offers to pay orthopedic surgeons $50.00 for every medical release their ASR patients sign and return. With over 91,000 ASR patients out there, that means DePuy is willing to pay out more than $4.5 MILLION dollars to get their hands on these medical releases. Here's an excerpt from that letter:

We will provide you with a brief form to be completed for each patient, including date of surgery, components implanted, follow up status and the results of any metal ion testing. We appreciate your assistance with this process, and we will provide compensation at a rate of $50 per patient for each completed form that is submitted to DePuy.

The medical release allows DePuy to have complete access to your PRIVATE and CONFIDENTIAL medical information. DePuy can use this information to build a case against you if you ever decide to file a lawsuit over the recalled ASR hip implants. DePuy even states in the letter that they'll use your medical information to process your hip recall claims.

Most people develop a strong bond with their doctors based on trust and medical authority. By working through the doctor-patient channels, DePuy is leveraging that relationship to get access to information that should be highly protected. Without an attorney's advice, many ASR hip recall patients may end up unknowingly signing their rights away to DePuy.

So while $4.5 million dollars may sound like a lot of money to help "process claims efficiently," it's also a good investment to mitigate the longer term legal and financial damages from a product that DePuy admits is defective.

If you have a recalled DePuy ASR Hip implant, it's important that you get legal advice about your rights and have a medical products liability attorney represent your interests when dealing with a medical device corporation such as DePuy. They have attorneys working for them. So should you.

One good resource for more information about your rights can be found at The DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance. You can read and download the entire letter sent to DePuy's customers in the link below.

Depuy Paying Surgeons to Get ASR Hip Recall Patients to sign releases

Q&A#4-Classic Symptoms of a Loose Recalled Depuy ASR Hip Implant

2010-11-29T15:54:00.002-05:00

Patients who have a loose ASR hip implant often experience a number of different symptoms. However, there is one classic symptom that almost always accompanies a loosened ASR Hip Cup: Lift-Off Pain. Patients who have this symptom know it because it's a rather intense feeling. Watch the video for details of what this classic symptom looks like.

A good resource for more information is the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance.

Q&A #3 Should I Get a Case Number from Depuy for my Recalled ASR Hip Implant?

2010-11-08T19:51:00.004-05:00

The official DePuy website advises patients with recalled ASR Hip Implants to call their hotline to get a case number and begin the recall process. This is critical advice: Before you call DePuy you should get in touch with a medical products liability attorney, and here's why: DePuy will likely send you to a medical testing facility of their choice. The lab work you get done will likely be what Depuy believes is necessary in relation to the recall. Why would you let the company that created your medical nightmare dictate your medical treatment? You need to be vigilant at this point to protect your legal rights and your confidential medical records.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

Q&A #2 DEPUY ASR HIP RECALL-Do I need another surgery?

2010-11-01T13:44:00.008-04:00

One of the biggest questions for patients who have the recalled Depuy ASR hip implanted in their bodies is "will I need to have another surgery?" A recall for a car or a toy or any other product usually means you have to bring it in for repairs. If the recalled product is your new hip joint, that's a bit troubling. The answer is that not everyone needs surgery to replace the hip. Only some patients will face this in the future. But to be sure, you need to see your Orthopedic surgeon right away. Take a look at the video below for details about what to do next.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to our hip recall website.

Q&A #1 How do I know if I have a recalled Depuy ASR hip implant?

2010-10-25T12:42:00.005-04:00

If you have a recalled Depuy ASR hip implant, you should be getting notification through your orthopedic surgeon. Just because you don't get a letter in the mail with the recall details, that doesn't mean your out of the woods just yet. Take a look at the video for more details on how to tell if you have a recalled ASR joint implant.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600.

Companies like DePuy Caught Paying Ortho Docs Millions- But For What?

2010-10-13T14:18:00.004-04:00

Of course companies like DePuy have deep pockets, but until this article in USA Today, it wasn't clear just how deep. The Archives of Internal Medicine conducted a study showing that 41 orthopedic doctors accepted over 114-million dollars from companies like DePuy & Zimmer in "payments." What exactly those payments were for is unclear, but you can use your imagination. Here's an excerpt from the article written by Steve Sternberg of the USA Today. The link to the complete article is below.

"The medical device industry's practices were so flagrant that they prompted an investigation by the Justice Department. Indeed, the payments reported in the new study appear in Internet listings set up by five big orthopedic device makers — Zimmer, DePuy Orthopaedics, Biomet, Stryker and Smith & Nephew — as part of a September 2007 settlement that capped a federal inquiry of company kickbacks to doctors. Zimmer, DePuy Orthopaedics, Biomet and Smith & Nephew also paid the government $311 million in penalties."

USA Today Article about the Big Orthopedic Companies giving millions in kickbacks to doctors.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

Metal on Metal Bearings: Better or Worse?

2010-10-07T22:32:00.004-04:00

Interesting questions posted by the Dept. of Medical Engineering and Physics at the Royal Perth Hospital in Australia. Notice how they specifically cite the Depuy ASR Hip as an example of problems with the bearings. Even more interesting, the bulletin was published in March 2010- 5 months BEFORE the official Depuy ASR Hip Implant recall.

Metal on Metal Bearings: How Effective?

March 2010

The increase in use of metal-on-metal (MoM) bearings over the past 5 years has been
dramatic. The claimed advantages of low wear and reduced dislocation risk should be balanced
against increased metal ion release and generation of fine metal wear particles. The
Australian Joint Registry (2009) identified MoM bearings, in particular ASR (DePuy) and
Durom (Zimmer) resurfacings, as having higher than average revision rates. In 2008, the FDA
issued a recall on Durom cups because of unacceptable loosening rates. Durom and ASR MoM bearings sent for analysis, show high rates of loosening (41%), extensive wear markings on the articular surfaces, and fine corrosion pitting near the rim of the heads. All components are Co-Cr-Mo alloy but differ in composition and manufacturing (cast or forged). Some of the microstructures revealed carbide precipitation at the grain boundaries – features that can affect wear and mechanical performance. Some questions remain:
• What is the cause of fine corrosion pitting on the bearing surfaces despite excellent
in vitro corrosion resistance?
• What is the relationship between metal hypersensitivity, osteolysis and implant
failure (loosening, infection)?
• Is there a correlation with increased reporting of pseudotumours or ALVAL with
usage of MoM bearings?

This is the link to the 2010 Bioengineering Bulletin PDF.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

How Many US Patients have Defective DePuy ASR Hip Implants?

2010-10-01T09:42:00.003-04:00

A worldwide recall is never a good thing for a company. And when you break down the numbers in DePuy's recent ASR hip implant recall, the statistics don't look good for patients in the United States. Take a look at the math:

93,000- The number of ASRs sold and implanted worldwide

11,160- The probable number of failed hip implants worldwide according to DePuy's reports of a 12% failure rate.

But here's where the numbers start to look bad for US patients:

4,000 Number of DePuy ASR hips sold/implanted in the UK

8,000 Number of DePuy ASR hips sole/implanted in Australia

12,000- Total number in both UK & Australia.

12% failure rate= at least 1440 defective hips in the UK and Australia.

That still leaves almost 10,000 patients around the world with a high probability of having a defective DePuy ASR hip. HOW MANY OF THESE DEFECTIVE HIPS WERE IMPLANTED IN US PATIENTS? The numbers are likely to be very high with patients in the United States suffering from the majority of these defective products.

Not good statistical odds for anyone in the US who has a DePuy ASR hip implanted into their bodies right now.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

4 Patients File Lawsuit Against DePuy Orthopaedics Over Recalled ASR Hips

2010-09-28T18:33:00.001-04:00


Picture of lawsuit filed against Depuy over recalled ASR hips.

Interesting lawsuit filed today on behalf of 4 patients who all had their failed ASR hip implants removed in a 2nd surgery. The unique angle to this story is who they're NOT suing. Here's a quote:

“We don’t believe in suing the doctors and hospitals because they did nothing wrong - this is a problem with the device,” stated attorney Altom Maglio of the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance. The Alliance has taken a strong stance that it will not represent patients in suing physicians or hospitals, but instead only prosecute suits against DePuy and its distributors.

Click on the link below for the complete case info:

Patients File Washington, DC Area Lawsuit Against DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. Over Recalled ASR Hips.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

Is the United States Ground Zero for ASR Hip Failures?

2010-09-27T14:25:00.001-04:00

Interesting article showing the DePuy ASR Recall is indeed worldwide. However the international connections to the US legal fight indicate that the United States may be ground zero for high ASR hip failures.

Australian Signs on to US Johnson & Johnson DePuy ASR Hip Implant Lawsuit

Date Published: Friday, September 17th, 2010

The Johnson & Johnson DePuy ASR hip implant recall was issued globally, and now it appears that lawsuits involving the defective hip implants are going global as well. According to a report out of Australia, one man in that country has already signed on to a class action lawsuit seeking damages on behalf of people injured by the recalled devices. Considering that thousands of people in Australia recieved a recalled Johnson & Johnson DePuy ASR hip implant, it is likely that more plaintiffs will follow.

Johnson & Johnson announced the recall of the DePuy ASR Hip Implant system last month, after data from the National Joint Registry of England and Wales showed that 1 out of every 8 patients (12%-13%) who had received the recalled devices had to undergo revision surgery within five years of receiving it. The recall involved the ASR XL Acetabular System, a hip socket used in traditional hip replacement, and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System, a partial hip replacement that involves placing a metal cap on the ball of the femur. Only the ASR XL Acetabular System was approved for use in the US.
The problems with the ASR system had been well documented well before the recall was issued. In March, DePuy Orthopedics warned that one of the devices appeared to have a high early failure rate. According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) records, since early 2008, it received about 300 complaints on the ASR involving patients in the U.S.

At least 93,000 people around the world have received one of the recalled Johnson & Johnson DePuy ASR hip implants. Symptoms that an ASR hip implant has failed may include an increase in pain or difficulty walking. However, even patients not experiencing symptoms have been warned to have their implant checked out, as symptoms may not be present.

The recall has already led to the filing of product liability lawsuits in the US. According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane-based Bob Lugton, 66, is the first Australian to join a US lawsuit involving the Johnson & Johnson DePuy ASR hip implant. Lugton, whose health has been severely compromised through leakage of cobalt into his body and degradation of the hip joint, is scheduled to undergo surgery next month.

Without the surgery, Lugton will be unable to walk, as his hip implant will eventually crack. But even once that is fixed, his blood cobalt levels are still 750 percent above normal. Lugton told the Sydney Morning Herald that the cobalt is “eating away” at his bones, causing other health problems. It’s unlikely that Lugton will be the last Australian to file suit in the US. His attorney told the Sydney Morning Herald that they expected up to 700 Australians to be affected out of the 5000 implants that have been implanted there.

NewsInferno.com disclaimer: This article: Australian Signs on to US Johnson & Johnson DePuy ASR Hip Implant Lawsuit was posted on Friday, September 17th, 2010 at 9:23 am at NewsInferno.com

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

How To Choose An Attorney if you Have a DePuy ASR Hip Failure Case

2010-09-24T16:08:00.002-04:00

Let's say you have a DePuy ASR hip implant and you're having problems. The Orthopedist says you'll need a second surgery to replace the bad ASR. Maybe you've already had the surgery and you're on your second hip implant. Either way, its expensive, time consuming, and really painful. You think to yourself, "its time to call an attorney." Your next problem is deciding who should represent you. A quick search online and you'll find hundreds of lawyers and law firms ready to take your case. It's always good to have choices, but here's some advice on how to narrow it down to a law firm that's best suited for your situation.

1. FIND AN ATTORNEY WHO WILL REPRESENT YOU THEMSELVES WHEN YOU GET TO COURT- There's something to be said for sitting down with the actual lawyer who will represent you and starting a relationship off on a personal level. You are choosing a legal professional to speak on your behalf, so you should have that foundation of communication established. You also want to know that your attorney will be the person actually litigating the case. It's like having a baby. Sure, any doctor will do just fine in the delivery room, but most people want to know the physician getting them through this is the one who's been with them through all 9 months of the pregnancy.

2. HIRE A MEDICAL PRODUCTS LIABILITY LAWYER- Not all law firms handle the same cases. You should look for an attorney who specializes in your situation. You wouldn't want your family doctor to perform heart surgery on you, right? The same holds true for your attorney. In the case of the DePuy ASR Hip Recall, look for a law firm that handles MEDICAL products liability. Its a very narrow specialty and typically these attorneys have a strong medical background. Ideally, a good rule of thumb is to choose a law firm with a long track record of representing other plaintiffs with similar medical product defects. The learning curve can be steep for these high profile cases, so why not find an attorney who already knows the ropes.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

Video of DePuy ASR Hip Failure Symptoms

2010-09-11T23:18:00.002-04:00

If you have a failed DePuy ASR Hip Implant, you probably already know this, but for patients with the implant and no symptoms yet, this information and video can help you know what to look for.

DePuy Hip Implant Failures- Video of symptoms

Some of the symptoms of the ASR hip failure are pain or trouble walking. Many patients with loose ASR hips report having "lift off pain," or sharp groin pain that lasts a few minutes after you get up from a chair.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

How to tell if you have one of the failed DePuy hips

2010-09-08T14:54:00.003-04:00

Since the DePuy ASR hip recall 2 weeks ago, a lot of people are wondering: "How do I find out if I have one of the failed hips?" It's a good question, but there's no clear answer.

Failed DePuy ASR Hip removed from a patient during revision surgery

How the recall works: Usually when a manufacturer issues a recall, they include a list of batch numbers or serial numbers to identify specific products. That way you can check and see if the recall affects you. But the DePuy ASR hip recall doesn't break it down into specific product batches. The recall is for ALL of the affected hip replacements. That's almost 100,000 hips replacements!

DePuy believes that 12%-13% of all of the implanted hips are failing in the first 5 years, but that number could be much higher. And even a 12% chance of failure is high enough for anyone with one of these implants to be concerned.

So what do you do now? Basically you're in limbo. If your DePuy ASR hip hasn't failed yet, you will likely end up waiting to see if it does fail. Either way, you should go see your orthopaedic surgeon soon just to get checked out.

Some of the symptoms of the ASR hip failure are pain or trouble walking. Many patients with loose ASR hips report having "lift off pain," or sharp groin pain that lasts a few minutes after you get up from a chair. If you're having any symptoms at all, then it's definitely time to see your orthopaedic doctor right away.

You should also talk to an experienced medical product liability attorney immediately. That's because if you do need another surgery to replace the failed DePuy ASR hip, it's important to preserve evidence from the procedure. Get more information about what steps to take if you think you have a DePuy Hip at the DePuy ASR Hip Replacement Failure Law Firm Alliance site.

What concerns do you have about this recall? Go ahead and post your questions or comments and we'll start a conversation about it. One thing is for sure: You're not alone. With almost 100,000 of these hips out there, this is going to be an issue for a long time to come.

Interesting Study from Mayo Clinic about metal on metal hip failures.

2010-09-02T16:35:00.002-04:00

The research abstract below is excellent background information for anyone who may have experienced these types of hip failure issues.

Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2010 Sep;468(9):2313-20.

Failed metal-on-metal hip arthroplasties: a spectrum of clinical presentations and operative findings.
Browne JA, Bechtold CD, Berry DJ, Hanssen AD, Lewallen DG.

Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

Abstract
BACKGROUND: A number of recent reports have described novel failure mechanisms of metal-on-metal bearings in total and resurfacing hip arthroplasty. Hip arthroplasties with metal-on-metal articulations are also subject to the traditional methods of failure seen with different bearing couples. There is currently little information in the literature to help guide timely clinical evaluation and management of these patients.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We therefore describe the (1) clinical presentations; (2) reasons for failure; (3) operative findings; and (4) histologic findings in patients with failed metal-on-metal hip arthroplasties.

METHODS: We retrospectively identified all 37 patients (37 hips) with metal on metal total hip or resurfacing arthroplasties who underwent revision over the past 3 years at our institution. Relevant clinical, radiographic, laboratory, intraoperative, and histopathologic findings were analyzed for all patients.

RESULTS: Of the 37 patients, 10 were revised for presumed hypersensitivity specific to the metal-on-metal articulation. This group included eight patients with tissue histology confirming chronic inflammation with lymphocytic infiltration, eight with aseptic loosening of a monoblock screwless uncemented acetabular component, two with iliopsoas impingement associated with a large-diameter femoral head, and three with femoral neck fracture after resurfacing arthroplasty; the remainder of the patients were revised for infection, instability, component malposition, and periprosthetic fracture.

CONCLUSIONS: Increased awareness of the modes of failure will bring to light the potential complications particular to metal-on-metal articulations while placing these complications into the context of failures associated with all hip arthroplasties. This novel clinical information should be valuable for the practicing surgeon faced with this patient population.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

Cease and Desist Letter from DePuy About the Term "recall."

2010-08-27T23:21:00.002-04:00

Take a look at this letter sent to the DePuy ASR Hip Replacement Law Firm Alliance back in April 2010. The cease and desist was for the use of the words "soft recall." Fast forward 4 months and DePuy "recalls" the ASR Hip Replacement worldwide on August 26, 2010. Cease and Desist Recall letter ASR DePuy Hip Replacement

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/

RECALLED! The DePuy ASR Hip Replacement by Johnson & Johnson

2010-08-27T22:34:00.005-04:00

Just this week DePuy Othopaedics, Inc. issued a WORLDWIDE recall of both its ASR XL Acetabular System (total hip replacement) and its DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System. Unfortunately this recall comes too late for patients who were sold these devices. This sn't a typical product recall where you can pull something off the shelves or return it to the store for a refund. This recall is for a product that has been implanted in a person's hip. The only way to replace the recalled hip is for the patient to go through a painful and debilitating surgery and rehabilitation. Almost 100,000 of these hip systems have been implanted in patients worldwide.

This is a good link for more information about the ASR hip recall.

For more information, contact the DePuy ASR Hip Recall Law Firm Alliance at (877) 284-6600 or go to http://www.mctplaw.com/depuy-asr/