Lise’s Story – all too common
I came across this story recently – and a very useful website you might like to take a look at.
http://www.hiphelp.org/mystory.html
here’s a snippet from Lise
In March, 2008, I received a new right hip. It was supposed to be the latest, most innovative hip manufactured by DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson.
I did not know much about joints or hip replacements before this procedure other than they are what “old” people have or those who have over-exercised their joints. I knew I had congenital arthritis from a birth defect known as dysplasia which affects a certain percentage of the population.
I was a dancer, (not professionally, just a passion), former cheerleader, a mom, wife, professional person, business owner,
runner, hiker, and gym rat. At about age 49, the arthritis was making itself known to me. Since I am a business owner and now consultant, my livelihood and that of my family depends upon my good health.
I was armed with internet research. I asked my doctor if my device had any recalls or complaints with the FDA. All indications were, this was one of the most successful surgeries in general.
The device, heavily recommend by my physician was a metal on metal hip or MoM implant. It would wear at least 20 years and it is what all baby boomers and professional athletes who needed new joints were receiving (according to my surgeon).
The surgery, if you have ever seen on YouTube, is pretty brutal. They use tools that reside in your garage; hacksaw, drill, hammer and chisels. They dislocated the hip, saw off the head of the joint, ream out the hip socket, drill out the bone marrow in your thigh and tap in a 7 inch (est.) long metal “stake” in your thigh. They put a ball on the end, (metal, ceramic or combination of both), and then put a cup made of metal or plastic in the socket as you would have a ball rolling about in a bowl. They have different size cups and balls for every size but much depends on the skill of the surgeon. You can come out with a limp and face future dislocations, have one leg shorter than the other, or the best and most widely touted case is you will fare better off than you were before and be pain free!
The surgery went as expected. I went home after two days but had significant back pain – unusual for me since I never had any back issues prior to the surgery. I just assumed it was the result of a bad hospital bed.
Read more here http://www.hiphelp.org/mystory.html
Related articles
- The Onder Law Firm Clarifies What the DePuy Hip Recall Lawsuit Settlement Means to Those Who Did Not File (prweb.com)
- US Drug Watchdog Now Urges Recipients Of The Recalled DePuy ASR Hip Implant To Call Them About A Just Announced Settlement If They Are Not Yet Represented By Counsel (prweb.com)
- Johnson & Johnson agrees to pay $2.5 billion to resolve thousands of hip replacement lawsuits (canadianbusiness.com)
- Johnson & Johnson DePuy hip implant settlement reported (lawprofessors.typepad.com)
- J&J to pay $2.5B to settle hip replacement suits (abqjournal.com)
- Meyers & Flowers Announce $2. … (biomedreports.com)
- J&J Said to Reach $4 Billion Deal to Settle Hip Lawsuits (bloomberg.com)
- DePuy ASR Lawsuit News: Wright & Schulte LLC Files Hip Implant Lawsuit on Behalf of Man Who Purportedly Developed Hip Replacement Complications Due to ASR Hip Implant (prweb.com)
- DePuy ASR Settlement Update: Rottenstein Law Group LLP Comments on $4 Billion DePuy Hip Settlement News (businesslawdaily.net)
- J&J to settle hip-replacement suits for $2.5B (thedailyrecord.com)
Earl's View 
Very sorry to hear of your ordeal. Like many others, I have been through exactly the same as you.
Unfortunately for me, my hip was made by S&N who seem all but untouchable.
As of April this year, I had a revision to a full hip replacement with Ceramic cup. Now all my hip pain is gone, and I am on the mend.
But unfortunately after 7 hip operations I now have small nerve damage, which is causing its own issues.
Interestingly, I notice you mention the back pain after surgery. I have had this after all 7 of my operations, and it was not after Op no.5 until I found out what it was.
In my case it was from the special bed that they put you on, which holds you under the arm and in the pelvic area. They then stretch your leg until it dislocates.
This stretching does upset the spine and cause pain after surgery. My Physio lady said she sees it all the time.
Yes, it is eerily hush-hush when it comes to Smith & Nephew Resurfacings . . . as damaging as any Depuy device, and deemed medically necessary to remove from this former dancer. She now tallies 4 hip operations; and has been dropped from and MDL and turned down from the Cinti Bar Associ., the Legal Aid Society, and 2or 3 firms doing phone campai gning for S&M THRs. I heard “We can’t help you” so many times as soon as I mentioned Resurfacing. I’ve read payoffs to docs is big with S&M (see earlier Earl’s Blog). One firm is going to “try to find something to get me a little recompense.” So, I release it all to the wind. I want to live . . . and that is a state of mind. A state of mind cultivated to wisdom and joy.
“let her live in the wind . . . let her live in the wind . . .”
This story was written in 2010. I hope Lise was not given the Stryker Rejuvinate or ABG 11 hip, which were recalled in 2012. I would be interested to know how she is doing now.
I will never understand how Smith and Nephew are continuing to get away with this.
I agree Barbara – I don’t get why Smith and Nephew is getting away with this. Equally perplexing is how the doctors almost seem to be “in on it with them”. If only the doctor who put my S & N resurfaced hip in would have let me known about these problems when he knew (2009??!!) then I would (or all of us, I should say) have had our metal levels checked earlier instead of waiting until most of the muscle around the device was completely gone. Smith and Nephew and the “doctors that are in on it with them” have taken away part of our lives (and we trusted them!). It won’t be this lifetime that S & N will get what they deserve (maybe the next?!). Like the good doctor said, who took this piece of shit (Earl’s words! lol!) out of me and put in a full hip, “just live your life and try to be happy.” (and that’s it for us!)
It is also amazing to me that all of our stories are very similar in that we got it done in 2008 and not one ortho thought to take the device out when people had problems from the very beginning (like Lise). It seems like common sense to me – unless of course the doctors are on the side of the companies that make these metal on metal pieces of crap (I should have used Earl’s word there!).
Unbelievable.
Lise is so hot it almost makes it worse. Her hotness makes it seem SHE would be immune to such an ugly person disease but no! God’s hand is unwielding! Arrr.