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arthritis, Australian Class Action, Cobalt chrome, Cobalt Ions, Cobalt poisoning, DePuy, DePuy ASR Hip, depuy hip recall, DePuy Hip Recall Litigation, DePuy Lawsuit, DePuy Pinnacle Hip Replacement System, FDA, FDA Hip Recall, Hip failure, Hip recall, Hip Replacement, hip resurfacing, hip revision, Johnson & Johnson, Metal Hypersensitity, metal ions, metal-on-metal hips, metallosis, MoM Hips, Smith & Nephew
Patients are the cobblestones on the path to doctors profits (Earl Stevens, 2011)
I have a Smith and Nephew Birmingham Spectron cobalt chrome metal on metal hip – put in August 2008.
Long story (recorded on my Blog My Story) but surgeon told me it was stainless steel. I should have known but I guess I was in too much pain at the time to think straight.
Since the operation I have had a hell time but always put it down to – it takes a year or two to get the full benefit & settle down (see Current Issues with my hip)
But it hasn’t – I am now on the maximum dose of Naproxen SR (1000 mg) daily and it is still painful; it is out doing the pain from the left hip which is impatiently waiting its replacement.
I have been researching the issue and trying to figure out how to make S&N’s life less profitable and what to replace this hip and the left hip with – and how to not take too long away from work, which is a necessary evil for most of us…
Look forward to hearing from you – I also have a Facebook Group called Total Hip Replacement News which mirrors what I post on http://earlsview.com – almost.
Daily now I am hearing from you that Smith & Nephew has lot’s of problems too – but so far long-suffering (literally) S&N hip replacement Recipients have no voice – let’s change that!
Send me your stories and we will make a difference!
Cheers
Earl Stevens
Technorati Tags: Arthritis, Australian Class Action, Cobalt Chrome, Cobalt Ions, Cobalt Poisoning, DePuy, DePuy ASR Hip, DePuy Hip Recall, DePuy Hip Recall Litigation, DePuy Lawsuit, DePuy Pinnacle Hip Replacement System, FDA, FDA Hip Recall, Hip failure, Hip recall, Hip Replacement, Hip Resurfacing, Hip Revision, Johnson & Johnson, Metal Hypersensitity, Metal Ions, Metal on Metal Hips, Metallosis, MoM hips, Smith & Nephew
Earl's View 
Earl, you are right, are people affraid of speaking up re: Smith & Nephew problems?
In reading reports on the BHR, referrences of data from Smith & Nephew’s BHR are taken from the same controlled group of 2385 patients that McMinn seems to control. Then there is reference from 140 surgeons who supposedily were responsible for 3800 hip implants.
The first attempt by Smith & Nephew to get their hip device approved by the FDA was denied in 2004, by a 3/2 vote. One of the major concerns expressed by the FDA was the data used in reporting results came from the ( I believe ) same 2385 patients, and McMinn the inventor of the BHR, worked for Smith & Nephew at the time, and he had a huge pay day for his BHR, supposidly over $100,000,000.
In 2006 the FDA through teir 510k plan approved the device by 3/2 vote and the company used the same basic information; used for denial now approved.
Well here we are years later and I still see reference to the same 2385 patient test group being used for statistics?
Qeuestions: if a study were done taking the history of hip devices; when they were approved, how approved, good and bad results taken randomally, would we discover company A says we are introducing xyz hip device, then company B says we are introducing 123 hip etc. Would we see a pattern that may believe one to suspect market control of pricing these devices?
I have not found Smith & Nephew’s be aware of problems list, other than articles you have to dig for, however your site has brought some of us that have suffered using the BHR. Their name doesn’t appear as having potential problems. Their product was metal on metal same materials used in other devices by DePuy, Stryker, etc. there aren’t as many people suffering from the BHR as with other manufacturers, however just because there hasn’t been a recall on the BHR, fact remains metal on metal present issues that affect the quality of our lives.
The continueous use of the same 2385 BHR patients is absolute Bull Sh-t, don’t you think?
So BHR victems speak up if it is justice you seek.
Respectfully
Howard Sadwin
Howard
your points are well made – have blogged them!
Earl