DePuy Hip Implants Not Tested Before Being Put on Market | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

When we have health problems, we trust our doctors, pharmacists and drug manufacturers to have our best interests at heart. In a world of advanced, modern medicine, when a device is promised to last, we reassure ourselves that the product will work as intended. Unfortunately, products don’t always work as they should. DePuy, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, has recalled its ASR hip implants after the devices have failed worldwide.

The hip implants, designed to last 15 years plus, have been failing after just a few years,the New York Times reports. Many patients developed inexplicable pain. After consulting with surgeons, they discover that masses of dead tissue form near the thighs of many patients.

The recalled hip implants have caused many to reconsider the way new medical devices are sold. Unlike new drugs, implants are often sold without first undergoing extensive patient testing. As long as a device resembles one already on the market, it can be sold without tests. This allows manufacturers to make small changes to a device quickly. But as the changes add on top of one another, the implants begin looking less and less like the original approved product.

Now, people all over the world are facing the effects of the poorly designed device. Hundreds of people have had to undergo early second operations not long after the first implant failed.

If you or a loved one have been injured by a DePuy hip implant, give us a call please contact our offices for a free consultation today.

CD