In May of 2007 at the age of 55, I underwent a hip resurfacing procedure in the right hip with fitment of a Smith and Nephew BHR metal prosthesis at Claremont Surgical in Cape Town, South Africa.  I had extensive and expensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy however I  never fully recovered and have suffered endless problems as follow:

• In 2008, my leg became swollen and the doctor fearing a thrombosis injected me with blood thinning medication.  I had a CAT scan which showed a bursar in the hip area which was collapsing the main vein – I then had a procedure to remove the liquid from the bursar but one week later the swelling returned.  I was advised to see a vascular surgeon who admitted me to hospital and inserted 2 stents, the first one collapsing under pressure from the bursar.

• In 2009 my leg again became swollen another scan showed the bursar had become tumerous and was pushing the vascular bundle against my pelvic bone and the stent had collapsed.  I was admitted to hospital where both orthopaedic and vascular surgeons operated – the stent being repaired and the tumerous mass being removed and the area around the prosthesis cleaned of debris.  The tissue was found to contain metal debris and I was found to be suffering from metallosis and an infection around the prosthesis.  I was put on a course of strong antibiotics to which I had a severe allergic reaction.  I was told no further operation on my hip was possible until this infection was cleared.  Since I can no longer afford the operation anyway I have not returned.

• From 2008, I was suffering from acute anxiety and depression which required hospitalisation and medication for several years.

• My one leg now being shorter than the other I have had stability and balance problems – unable to walk any distance because of pain and discomfort.  I believe this instability also contributed to a fall in 2010 and a second fall in 2011 – this time breaking my ankle.

• Lately I have noticed a marked deterioration in my sight as well as short term memory lapses and confusion with time lines.

I had no idea that all my problems mentioned above must clearly stem from the BHR metal prosthesis in my body, until reading an article in a magazine.

I would like to point out that besides the pain, discomfort and constant worry about what would happen next to my hip and the constant reminder because of the “clunk-clunk” when I move in certain ways, the time and the expense has taken its toll and today I have been unable to find a job and have neither pension nor savings nor medical aid as I am effectively destitute all being used to pay for the endless medical bills since my hip replacement.  I am now relying on my son for a living and am currently homeless, moving between various friends.

I approached a firm in South Africa who are involved in a class action against Du Puy.  They agreed to add me to the action as I did not realise there were a number of manufacturers of these prostheses – however on investigation they discovered I was not fitted with a Dupuy prosthesis but a Smith and Nephew “Birmingham” prosthesis. I subsequently went on line to find out what was being done to assist people who are suffering from the failure and after effects of this prosthesis in a case against this manufacturer as is being conducted against Du Puy and Johnson and Johnson.  I don’t see any cases being handled in South Africa and would like to ask your advice as to my next steps.

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SA lawsuit against UK hip implants

November 15 2012 at 01:38pm
By Laea Medley

A South African medical malpractice law firm will apply for jurisdiction in the UK, to sue a hip implants manufacturer.

Durban – A South African medical malpractice law firm is set to apply for jurisdiction in the UK, where it plans to sue a British hip implants manufacturer on behalf of more than 120 claimants.

If given the go-ahead this could be one of the largest medical malpractice group action cases in that country.

For the past week, CP van Zyl Attorneys Incorporated have been hosting briefing sessions across the country where legal experts met members of the public who thought they may have been harmed by the metal-on-metal hip implant, made by Johnson & Johnson affiliate, DePuy.

Speaking in Durban on Wednesday, Sunelle van Heerden, a CP van Zyl consultant, said there were more than 120 South African claimants who had been harmed by the DePuy implants.

“We are receiving calls on an almost daily basis from patients who have been harmed by the implant and who have to undergo a second operation to replace the failed DePuy implant,” she said.

The operations were performed on more than 3 300 patients in South Africa between July 2003 and August 2010.

“DePuy admitted that the hip joints were faulty and recalled them in August 2010,” said Van Heerden.

“While they are willing to pay for another hip implant, there is a dispute about the compensation they are prepared to pay.”

She said initially only about eight cases would be taken to the UK court to establish a precedent on jurisdiction.

A ruling on this is expected in February or March.

The firm is working with an English legal team and has secured a British barrister, Hugh Preston QC, an expert litigator in the fields of medical negligence and product liability, to represent claimants in the group action in the UK.

“If the UK court finds in our favour, the rest of the cases will follow,” Van Heerden said.

Preston said the clients’ compensation would be based on their general pain and suffering, loss of income, and medical expenses – an amount previously estimated by the firm as ranging from R300 000 to R3 million. – Daily News

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I live in Cape Town – South Africa.

I had a THR.One week after my operation my wound opened up and my dr closed the wound with band aid plaster.

I also had no drains installed after my operation, as Dr Dymond does not think it is neccessary.

3 months after my operation I started having problems – serious problems!.

I could not walk on my leg and had to go onto 2 crutches, within another 3 weeks i was in a wheelchair because of the pain. It felt as if the prosthesis was loose, and moving in and out of my femur when i moved. My dr diagnosed bursitis. I developed fever attacks, and had to be covered by 3 blankets although it was high summer in South Africa. My wound was also warm and red. This carried on with weekly visits to my dr for another 3 months, and he still diagnosed bursitis. Then i developed a ball of puss the size of a gholf ball on my hip. It was surgically drained, and carried on leaking for about a week, but my dr still said i had bursitis( i believe that at this stage i already had osteomyelytis). The pain and fever was killing me, i cried like a baby. But he still let me carry on for another 2 months before he said that i had an infection.

Needless to say my live has been ruined. I had the prosthesis removed, had irrigation for 6 weeks, had another hip replacement which also became infected. I believe that i was just left for to long, that is why i ended up with chronic osteomyelytis (something you will never get rid of) and ended up having a girdlestone arthrodesis.

I also had to live with a leaking sinus for about 4 months. We had to change my dressings up to 8 times a day.

I now have no hip, and walk permanently with crutches. My leg is also 10cm shorter.

This Dr Dymond advertises as one of these Drs on safari for oversees patients. Beware!!!!!!!!!!!.

Things could have been so different for me if i seeked a second opinion when i started having problems. The only mistake i made was to believe in my dr.

Have a look at my website http://it-could-happen-to-you.com

Regards

Marius

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The New Zealand Herald recently published a story regarding the withdrawal of the DePuy ASR hip system due to adverse results and higher than expected revision rates.

If you have had a hip replacement and are experiencing any pain or discomfort Arthritis New Zealand advises you to talk to your GP and get it checked out.

Although this issue is extremely serious for those affected, it is important to note that this particular joint replacement – the ASR – is only one of a number of possible replacement joints used in New Zealand.

While at first glance, the number of revisions may seem concerning, the New Zealand National Joint Registry reports that of the 35,000 hip replacements performed over the last five years, only 507 used the ASR implants.  From the registry 18 were replaced due to direct problems with the ASR system.

This withdrawal isn’t limited to New Zealand; the system has also been removed in Australia, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and South Africa.

For many people with osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis in New Zealand, having a hip replaced is a successful and safe procedure that is important part of reducing pain and increasing mobility.

For the thousands of people who need a hip replacement this year should not be put off by these reports.  Good communication between doctors, surgeons and patients is required to ensure you know what type of device is being used and to ensure that the follow up after surgery is undertaken.

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