A new lawsuit targeting DePuy has been filed over alleged defects linked to ASR revision hip surgery. This plaintiff, like others who have pursued legal action, argues that the hip implant device is defective and causes painful problems after implantation.

A woman from Colorado, plaintiff Betty N., has filed a lawsuit against DePuy Orthopedics and Johnson & Johnson, alleging that she suffered severe and significant side effects as a result of her hip implant. Betty says that she had a full hip replacement surgery on her left hip in March 2006. Betty says that she was not aware of the high chance of ASR revision hip surgery, however.

Betty says she was hospitalized for four days and underwent physical therapy, post-surgical rehabilitation, and followed all medical advice from her surgeon when she initially received the device. In 2010, however, DePuy issued a recall of the ASR hip system as a result of problems that patients had reported.

The lawsuit contends that the manufacturer should have done more to warn patients and the medical community about the risks of developing painful and problematic side effects, particularly the chance of ASR revision hip surgery. The plaintiff says she was asymptomatic at the time of the recall and continued to attend her doctor’s appointments on an annual basis to have her hip checked.

In April 2017, however, Betty says her left leg became painful and began to swell. A doctor’s evaluation allegedly determined in summer 2017 that the she had a mass in her groin area near the left hip.

The DePuy lawsuit alleges that, at that time, doctors determined that Betty had suffered a failed left hip arthroplasty and had developed chronic kidney disease, hyper lipedema, diverticulosis, elevated blood pressure, and hypothyroidism because of the problems associated with the hip device.

Betty says that she had to have ASR revision hip surgery to address many of these issues. The surgery was carried out on Oct. 30, 2017. At that time, a large pseudo-cyst was also removed from her. According to the lawsuit, that pseudo-cyst was filled with metal particles, and metal particles were removed from the surrounding muscle and tissue.

Following the ASR revision hip surgery, says she was hospitalized for another two days and was then unable to bear weight on her left leg. For a period of two months, Betty says she had to use a walker to ambulate and then was transferred to crutches for two months.

Extensive post-operative treatment was required and Betty says that she continues to suffer significant pain and problems as a result of the device and the ASR revision hip surgery.

The ASR Revision Hip Surgery Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-02701-NRN in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.