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DePuy Hip Replacement Article

Significant public comment has occurred associated with the potential cost of hip revision surgery for Irish patients arising out of the potential defective DePuy hip replacement product. Estimates in the media have ranged as high as €100,000,000, which seem excessive or extreme, most especially when such estimates appear to be based upon the entire cohort of patients, or 3,500 persons, requiring such a hip revision procedure. On statistics available, it has been indicated that 12%-13% of the total number of patients who underwent hip implant surgery utilising the DePuy hip implant will require hip revisions. On that statistical basis, in Ireland the total number of hip revision procedures required will be in the region of 400. Also, the estimates of the costs associated with such hip revisions, that range between €30,000 to €50,000 per operation, seems similarly excessive.

It would appear that there is a degree of lack of proper detail associated with the present situation that has occurred.

It is now imperative that the following should occur:

1.All patients who received a DePuy hip implant should be recalled by the HSE as a matter of priority since patients who are concerned about the adequacy of their hip implants are now left in total ignorance as to whether they have to undergo such a hip revision procedure.

2.That appropriate procedures should be endorsed by the HSE to protect patient rights and entitlements. Under no circumstances should patients be under an obligation to sign the DePuy consent form for the purposes of having their reasonable costs associated with any review or revision procedure discharged by DePuy.

3.Similarly, under no circumstances should a situation occur where DePuy have an entitlement to obtain the excised implant for the purposes of their own assessment or review. A system should be set up whereby such excised implants are maintained by the HSE for the purposes of allowing access to all interested parties associated with the testing of the adequacy or appropriateness of the design of such a hip implant. Such interested parties could include patients, their Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Irish Medicines Board who, as the licensing authority for medical devices in this jurisdiction, maintain an interest.

It is incumbent upon the HSE to act in a pro-active, appropriate and fair manner towards patients who have a potential problem associated with a defective medical device that has now caused pain and suffering for persons so affective.

Raymond Bradley, Managing Partner of Malcomson Law on RTE News, click here to view.

If you have suffered harm or injury from a defective DePuy hip implant then please contact Malcomson Law on (01) 8744422 or complete an Online Enquiry Form.

This news section contains stories of interest from publicly available news sources. Where we are representing the clients referred to in the news material we will say so. Where we do not represent individuals or bodies mentioned or quoted, the inclusion of the news story in our news section is not intended nor should it be taken to imply that we act for the individual or body concerned.