HSE safety alert sent to all State hospitals says patients need to undergo regular testing…

The British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency says patients who have metal-on-metal hips need to be regularly reviewed as some may develop soft tissue reactions related to their implant.

Tests will be carried out to ascertain whether patients are suffering muscle or bone damage, and metal toxicity. Some could need revision surgery…..

About 8,000 patients in Ireland have been fitted with the metal-on-metal devices, which were introduced in the 1990s. They were promoted among younger patients with a more active lifestyle as offering better mobility than hips using a metal ball and plastic socket.

Many of these patients were fitted with ASR devices made by the manufacturer DePuy and have already been reviewed after a recall in 2010….

 

Source: Fresh concerns for ‘metal-on-metal’ hip implant patients