Sulzer Hip Replacement Medical Device Lawsuit

Unsafe Products

What's the worst scenario that could happen after a hip replacement? Of course, there are many outcomes but what happened to hundreds of unsuspecting patients is they were implanted with faulty Sulzer hip replacements.

Not only did this cause excruciating pain but it required scores of orthopedic surgeons to remove the defective Sulzer hip implants and replace with safer hip implant medical devices.

A hip replacement is frequently considered routine but to replace an existing faulty implant, is a more agonizing and a more dangerous surgery plagued by complications, longer recovery and rehabilitation time, and puts great stress on the patient, their family responsibilities and negatively impacts their overall quality of life.

The Sulzer hip implant had to be replaced because of mistakes made while manufacturing. The lawsuits that have been filed intend to recover damages for claims of negligence, pain and suffering and other losses such as wages.

But how did the defective hip implant problem happen in the first place?

The problem can be traced to a mix-up in the way a coolant was used in manufacturing the shell, or the hemispherical part of the implant that is inserted into the upper part of the hip. That cup is covered in a porous titanium coating that needs to be cooled and then tooled. The tooling machine is lubricated with mineral-based oil which got into the coolant that was sprayed on the shells. When traces of lubricant are left and get into a shell's pores, the patient's bone may not be able to bond with the shell. Sometimes, the body reacts to the loose shell by building up scar tissue. The loose shell can also erode the bone. These problems cause various symptoms, mainly severe groin pain and the inability to bear weight on the leg on the implant side.

The company admits to the mistake but people question how long Sulzer knew about the mistake and how many people suffered needless surgeries before the product was recalled and doctors and hospitals were notified not to use this particular model of Sulzer hip implant.

Contact the Clark, Perdue & List Co, LPA law firm about your hip replacement implant gone wrong.