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Harold  writes:

I personally had a Birmingham hip implant (Smith & Nephew) in February 2008 and started with extreme pain after a short time due to the pseudo tumour from the metal on metal unit.

I am male 64 and the reason for the initial operation was Perth’s disease from the age of 8 Years old. The NHS performed many tests including MRI,X-rays,CT scans, Ultasonic scans and even a ultrasonic guided injection over the next three years and finally the consultant agreed to give me a revision operation in October 2010.

After a prolonged wait and increasing pain I rang the PCT NHS after 23 weeks and told them that under article 56 of the EU Convention I had the right to go to another country and that they would have to pay.

I found a hospital and surgeon in Lille, France who specialised in metal on metal replacements and also is an expert in bone restructuring who was also doing tests on the prostheses recovered during his operations. I elected to go to his hospital and pay up front allowing the doctor to rid me of the pain.

He told me that the tumour was 150mm on the old prostheses and it was a very difficult operation. He also told me that the tumour was attached to many blood vessels and had the tumour burst while I was on the operating table the contents of the tumour would have gone around the whole body and if it was not benign I would have died within 48 hours and he would not have been able to save my life.

It is time that Smith & Nephew were responsible enough like the American Depuy company to accept that the metal on metal is wrong and should be prepared to accept the consequences.

If they can not, then the British Government should make them take responsibility.

I had the revision operation in April 2011 and am still in pain but it is decreasing very slowly or if not I am getting used to the level of pain still.

Harold

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