Has your doctor recommended hip implant revision surgery after you received a complete hip replacement? If so, you’re probably wondering about the risks and benefits of going through surgery yet again after you got a hip implant that you thought would address your medical concerns.

A growing number of people who went through metal hip implantation have also gone through subsequent hip implant revision surgery. There are many dangers associated with any medical procedure, such as implantation of a hip device, and the risk of infection and other possible side effects follow those who go through hip implant revision surgery.

Hip implant revision surgery can be performed to repair artificial hip joint prosthesis that broke down due to normal wear and tear, defects in the implant, or damaged due to infection. Hip revision surgery helps to correct these underlying issues so that the patient’s hip can function normally again.

Any artificial joint does not last forever and the typical life of an artificial hip joint is up to 15 years depending on the patient’s daily use. However, some patients who received metal on metal hip implants say that they have had to undergo revision surgery sooner than that point and that they were never told about the possibility of this high risk. Hip revision surgery in many cases is voluntary, but it is not an entirely safe procedure.

Some of the most common complications associated with revision surgery include cardiac malfunction or respiratory issues tied to anesthesia, nerve injuries, infections, weakness, instability and stiffness of the joint, fracture or injury or the possibility of even more revision surgeries. Special equipment can enable a person who has undergone revision hip surgery to have an easier recovery. Occupational and physical therapists might help the patient recover.

In total, it is estimated that more than 500,000 people across the United States have received metal on metal hip replacements. However, many of those individuals have had to undergo revision surgery earlier than typically anticipated because of significant problems.

Some modular hip stems manufactured from metal appear to be failing at an even higher rate than the manufacturers expected. Surgeons will need to discuss the possibility for revision surgery directly with their patients, but the high failure rate of these metal on metal hip implant devices has many surgeons concerned about the overall risk and benefit profile and whether or not it makes sense to continue implanting these devices.

Many patients who undergo a hip revision claim they were never appropriately warned about the possibility of having to go through revision surgery. Some have chosen to lodge complaints, contact the FDA to file adverse event reports, or even taking legal action.

Patients argue that they should have been told about these dangers and problems at the outset of undergoing the first surgery, and that the failure to do so represents a legal liability on the part of the hip manufacturer.