An Oregon couple alleges DePuy hip replacement problems in a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the husband’s hip replacement device. The husband is claiming he suffered persistent pain and infection.

Plaintiff John H. and his wife Diane H., residents of the state of Oregon, have filed this DePuy hip replacement problems lawsuit against DePuy, the manufacturer of John’s hip replacement device.

John’s DePuy hip replacement problems lawsuit claims that he was implanted with a DePuy ASR hip replacement in his left hip on Feb. 13, 2008. He asserts that in 2017, he “began suffering severe chills, cold, shaking and severe pain in his left hip.”

John says he “developed a debilitating methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus (“MSSA”) infection at the site of the artificial hip implant.”

According to this DePuy hip replacement problems lawsuit, on July 9, 2017, John was forced to undergo an emergency surgery to remove the metal femoral head of the DePuy ASR hip system. In the place of the femoral head, a plastic liner and ceramic ball were implanted.

The surgeon noted that metallosis was discovered during the surgery. Metallosis is the poisoning of surrounding tissue and blood by metal ions. This can result in tissue death. The surgeon also noted ““green tinged necrotic tissue.”

John says he underwent further surgeries to correct his DePuy hip replacement problems in both July 2017 and August 2017. In all, John had to undergo three revision surgeries to have his implants removed. Additionally, John says that on July 13, 2017 he was forced to have his pacemaker removed because of DePuy hip replacement problems as a result of his surgery. His DePuy hip replacement problems lawsuit states that he could not have his pacemaker reinstated until Feb. 6, 2018.

Revision surgery is often more risky than original joint replacement surgery and comes with additional cost such as medical bills and lost wages, say the lawsuit. Patients are at a higher risk to experience complication with revision surgery.

He believes that the DePuy ASR hip replacement system substantially contributed to his significant harm which included “physical injury and bodily impairment, infection, metallosis, lack of mobility and severe pain and suffering.” The surgeon explained that he had to perform an irrigation and debridement of the joint infection and that the patient was given an antibiotic to help fight the infection.

Another surgery was performed on Aug. 3, 2017, to take care of a blood clot in the affected hip. He was placed on more antibiotics and the levels of metal in his blood were assessed. John asserts that these increased metal blood levels contributed to his failing health and his need for continued surgeries.

John holds DePuy responsible for his DePuy hip replacement problems and claims he could not have known that his potential problems would be as a result of a device defect.

This DePuy Hip Replacement Problems Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-dp-20027-JJH in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division.