Hip replacement surgery is a popular procedure that allows many people with debilitating hip pain or loss of range of motion, often caused by arthritis, to live more active and comfortable lives. These hip implants are meant to help alleviate joint pain and improve function. However, hip replacements may fail, break, or degrade due to a variety of factors. When this happens, hip revision surgery may be necessary to repair or replace the damaged joint.

When Is Hip Revision Surgery Necessary?

Hip revision surgery may be necessary to repair damage sustained by the prosthetic joint due to several factors. Often, the part of the joint connected to the patient’s own bones may become loosened, leading to instability. This loosening may be exacerbated by repetitive high impact activities, such as jogging or jumping, as well as extra body weight, or the age of the prosthetic. Patients who received a replacement joint when they were fairly young may find that the prosthetic has outlived its life expectancy, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

In some cases, friction between the ball and socket pieces of the joint may result in small metal particles being ground off the joint and released into the patient’s bloodstream. VeryWellHealth.com explains that these particles may incite an immune response from the body, and result in inflammation to the surrounding tissue, deterioration of the bone, and metal ion blood poisoning, or metallosis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that metal-on-metal hip implant devices carry more risks on top of general hip implant risks.

What Is Involved in Hip Revision Surgery?

While hip replacement surgery is fairly straightforward, hip revision surgery is often a longer and more complicated procedure, with additional risks. Each revision surgery may be different, depending on the unique needs of the patient. In some cases, the entire prosthetic joint may need to be removed and replaced, while in other cases, only parts of the prosthesis may need to be fixed.

The degraded prosthetic may result in damage to the bone and surrounding soft tissue, making it difficult to simply swap out the old hip joint for a new one. Doctors will often need to replace damaged prosthetics with specialized implants designed to make up for the loss of bone and damaged soft tissue.

Revision surgery is often complex and may take several hours to complete. It generally begins with an incision made along the same line as the incision from the initial surgery. After the hip joint has been exposed by this incision, the prosthetic will be examined and assessed in order to determine which parts will need to be replaced or repaired.

Next, the implant, or parts of the implant, will be removed carefully in order to preserve as much of the patient’s original bone as possible. If cement was used in the initial surgery to hold the prosthetic in place, this cement will need to be carefully removed. After the new revision implant is inserted, screws may be added to hold the socket of the joint in place until new bone and tissue grows around the prosthetic to hold it in place.

Following hip revision surgery, most patients will require a short hospital stay, followed by several weeks of recovery at home. Pain medication may be prescribed to help with discomfort, and patients are generally encouraged to rest and be careful using the joint until it has healed.

What Are Possible Complications?

There are many possible complications associated with hip revision surgery. One major potential complication is the risk of infection at the site of the prosthetic. Infection may occur immediately after surgery, or it may take years to develop. Other complications include:

• • Blood clots, including pulmonary embolism or blood clots in the lungs
  • Dislocation of the joint
  • A difference in leg length
  • Heterotopic ossification, or the formation of new bone in abnormal areas
  • Fracture
  • Damage to nerves or blood vessels
  • Failure at the attachment site between the bone and prosthetic
  • Loosening of the implant

Is More Than One Hip Revision Surgery Possible?

In the case of severe problems with a hip implant, multiple surgeries may be needed to successfully replace an old prosthesis. For example, the Cleveland Clinic notes that a severe infection could result in multiple surgical procedures: one to remove the old scar tissue and treat the joint with antibiotics and another to provide a new prosthetic after the infection has healed.

Unfortunately, even after the time, pain, and risks associated with revisions, the success rate of hip revision surgery is actually lower than the initial implantation.

As early as the 1980s, doctors were aware of the potential for repeated revision surgeries. A 1987 study by the Mayo Clinic found that infection was not always the root cause of revision surgeries. Instead, implant loosening was determined to be a significant factor. According to the Mayo Clinic study, loosening of the acetabular and femoral components lead to migration, visible gaps on x-rays, fracturing of the implant cement, and even moderate to severe pain. 

Of the studied patients, the Mayo Clinic recorded 45 patients who needed two or more revision surgeries due to aseptic (non-infection related) implant failure. Seven of these patients needed a third revision surgery due to continued problems.

Unfortunately, the outcomes of these patients were not positive. In 19 of the 45 patients, postoperative complications were noted. In 11 hips following a second revision surgery, treatment was reportedly considered to be a failure. In the seven patients who needed a third surgery, two hips were considered to be failed treatment.

In light of these statistics, consumers may hope that their hip implant is safe and reliable. According to lawsuit allegations, this just isn’t always the case.

Can I File a Hip Revision Surgery Lawsuit?

So far, thousands of patients have filed lawsuits over metal hip implants hip revision surgery. According to litigation, neither patients nor the medical community at large had been adequately warned about the risks associated with metal hip revision surgery.

If you or someone you love has suffered from complications caused by metal hip revision surgery, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by complications from surgery, but it can at least help to alleviate the burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, especially while also dealing with health complications, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.