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Calling all Smith & Nephew victims
Being a regular reader and contributor to Earl‘s View I started noticing that there were many ‘victims’ of Smith & Nephew metal implants talking about their various symptoms and the lack of information being provided to the medical profession and, more importantly, us – the patients.
Much has been dedicated to De Puy and lawyers are jumping up and down with glee especially as their implants have been pulled worldwide but it’s a totally different story with Smith & Nephew. Many surgeons are saying that they still safe to use, lawyers are saying that there is little chance of compensation based on the differing figures from research of various registers in different countries which show that the failure rates are low, the manufacturers are blaming the surgeons. Research keeps going in different directions and it seems to me that the whole medical profession involved with metal hip implants have numerous meetings, where they might as well be dancing around their hats, as nothing concrete comes from them.
The FDA (US), MHRA (UK), Australia and other countries government medical authorities all seem to say that a very small number of patients are suffering from ‘adverse reactions’ to the metal debris yet we, the patients, are unaware if they have been reported or not. Let’s say that if there have been 100,000 Smith & Nephew metal on metal implants used worldwide (I know its more) what do these authorities consider a ‘small number’ 1%, 5% or what? Well after reading numerous posts I know this can hardly be true. Firstly those of us with computers have to find the site to post, some might not want to, what about those people without computers or the savvy to research and look things up, what about the people who might be thinking that this is what you feel after surgery and have nothing or nowhere to compare? How many lives have really been ruined with nowhere to report this? How many people are being told by their Dr’s and Surgeon’s that all is well when it’s not?
So for this reason I set up a website/blog initially for Smith & Nephew sufferers in the UK providing, like Earl, as much research and news that I can find with the same ethos of bringing some transparency so that everyone can see and make their own minds up as to e.g. have the implants for their first surgery and revisions and also to see the muddle that the medical profession are in. My Dr thinks that this whole story is very similar to AIDS in that government and medical authorities are trying to hide the information but that it will eventually explode, especially when she saw Tony Nargols interview.
I also noticed that none of the researchers/authorities wanted to hear from us the patients, it seems daft to me that they haven’t thought about utilising information from the very people who have been afflicted to assist with their on-going research. So I decided to gather some information about the symptoms we all have had with a view to give me something tangible to shout about and persuade anyone who will listen to include us and hear what we are saying. Surely it must help future ‘victims’? I had a brief discussion with my Surgeon in Southampton where they have set up a specialist unit and he thought they could be useful (no monies involved).
I only launched in early December and have yet to really try to publicise but so far 15 people have filled in the form and to read the similarity of symptoms both post initial surgery and post revision brings tears to my eyes. Shockingly all 15 (16 including me) are still in pain and suffering other symptoms after revision surgery. Therefore, if you wish to help be heard please fill in the form, your privacy will be respected.
http://metalhipproblems.co.uk/your-hip-details/
Thank you. Gayle Blanchflowerwww.metalhipproblems.co.uk
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- Laurel’s Story – Smith & Nephew BHR Hip Resurfacing Ruins Another Life (earlsview.com)
New York Times has an article,in today’s paper, in regards to J& J recall. nothing was mentioned about other manufactures of MoM. I left a comment under ” angry and frustrated ” from Florida. There are 160 comments already. I found them all very interesting. I suggest leaving comments as well as your web site. I will check in shortly to add to yours -Thank you for arranging for
us to do so. It’s my way of venting since I feel so hopeless.
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Beware in responding to this call. Though well intentioned, disclosure of your confidential health data might fall into S&N hands and give them the basis for preparing their defense.
I recommend preservation of anonymity. Keep your powder dry until the big push i.e when your case comes to court.
Hi Paul
Understand but that is not possible in this case as Gayle is a fellow victim just trying to pull together an action group.
Earl
It’s not Gayle that I worry about. It’s the S&N Attorneys who can also get access to this site and pick up all our details and use the information for their own assault on us.
Understand but I think they are too arrogant to even bother. They think they are bullet proof and J&J DePuy will take all the heat.
When I first became aware of “Earls View” and contributed to the Blog regarding my personal experience with the BHR and elevated cobalt/chromium levels,I had no idea this would only be the beginning of my problems and not my road to the remedy! Following the removal of the BHR on Dec 11th after its original implant in Aug of 2009, my hip was revised with a Zimmer metal on plastic device. My surgery went well, accelerated recuperation and my extremely elevated chromium / cobalt levels already dropped over 60% in a matter of weeks after the device removal. Unfortunately, on Dec 28 th while eating dinner and sitting in a chair my hip dislocated and after an 8 hr ordeal in the emergency room my hip was relocated under sedation and I was sent home. Over the next 3 weeks recuperation from the dislocation was more akin to the original recovery challenge from the original BHR implant. I subsequently developed a serious infection in the hip area and had to be admitted for emergency surgery. The infection was such that the incision had to be reclosed after cleansing the device and hip area to wait for the bacteria cultures to be developed and schedule a subsequent surgery in a matter of days to extract the device, implant a concrete spacer impregnated with the targeted antibiotic and then be treated with the same antibiotics by IV over the next 6-8 weeks until hopefully the infection is eliminated. At that time, the now 5th surgery will be scheduled to remove the spacer and put in place a new metal on plastic hip replacement. This is exactly what I feared most after being affected by the BHR metal ion toxicity and having to have the original device removed. Obviously one never wants to test the odds of multiple surgeries inviting variables such as blood clots or infections which you escaped the first go around! So I take a day at a time in this journey to remedy these problems but emphasize the seriousness of the BHR issues out there, FDA ‘s ignoring the need to address Smith & Nephew ‘s responsibilities to the patients , the absurdity of the current Insulation S &N has enjoyed from litigation and most importantly how far off practical reality our chief justices of the Supreme Court have been in misinterpreting the FDA guidelines and their mutual responsibility to protect the consumer ! Ed Larsen
Sent from my iPad
Ed
sorry to hear that you have had such a terrible time since we last spoke. S&N have a lot to answer for and my hope is that they have their day in court – along with the the promoter of the whole mess, Mr McMinn.
I hope you make a solid recovery now.
Earl
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Pingback: Inportant information about legal action on metal hip – originally posted – implantsinfo@metalhipproblems.co.uk | Earl's View
Pingback: Bullshit and Jellybeans at its finest – 100 workers job losses at Smith & Nephew blamed on Obamacare – Washington Times | Earl's View
In one article Smith & Nephew claims a miss take was made, or a miss quote from their company. The article claimed Smith & Nephew was not blaming the recent employee lay off on the new imposed taxes on devices. NOW THEY ARE BLAMMING THE LAYOFFS ON THE NEW TAX.
If you can’t make up your mind why 100 people were laid off how can you make up your mind as to the safety of your Birmingham Resurfacing Hip Device. Even McMinn warned Smith & Nephew about being too aggressive with the marketing of the BHR, as there were unanswered concerns as to METAL PARTICLES ENTERING THE HUMAN BLOOD SYSTEM AND ITS AFFECTS.
But Market Share and Rate of Return to the Investors was more important than patient safety. They gambled, the cost HUMAN LIVES HAVE BEEN SEVERLY COMPROMISED FOREVER.
After all Smith & Nephew could hide behind the pre-emption laws due to the BHR receiving PMA approval by the FDA.
If Smith & Nephew is laying off people due to the new tax then why on their website are they always looking to hire new employees ?? Is this another line of BULLSH-t from Smith & Nephew, are they touting off again??? Who Knows
Perhaps an investigation by our Federal Government would expose the manor in which the BHR was approved and have the PMA withdrawn by the FDA as it should be.
Respectfully
Howard Sadwin