In July of 2012, the Stryker Corporation voluntarily recalled two modular-neck hip stems that had been used in thousands of hip replacement surgeries across the country.
The two models, Stryker Rejuvenate and Stryker ABG II, were recalled after a number of complaints were sent to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) citing instances of severe pain and swelling, corrosion, along with a number of other dangerous side effects.
Both the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II are “metal-on-metal” hip stems. The potential risks of metal-on-metal implants includes fretting or corrosion of the metal, which can release unnecessary chromium and cobalt ions into the body. This could ultimately cause adverse reactions in local tissue, death of tissue, pain, swelling, limitations in movement and even bone damage. Many individuals who received hip replacement surgery using these products have had to undergo a second operation, known as revision surgery.
As a result of this voluntary recall, many patients have received letters from Stryker, their doctor or their hospital, urging them to book a follow-up appointment with their physician, undergo blood tests and review the safety of their current implant. Stryker also intends to address the costs associated with tests and potential revision surgery.
If you received either a hip replacement using Stryker Rejuvenate or Stryker ABG II hip stems, it is important to not only meet with your doctor, but with a lawyer.
The financial benefits available to you through the Stryker recall will not compensate you for the unnecessary pain and suffering you and your family may have experienced. The worry. The time off of work. It will cover the bare minimum—and you deserve more.
Stryker has also stated that revision surgery may not be necessary. Yet if these hip implants are left in the body, no one knows how they will fare in the decades following this recall. There may be further risks that have not yet been discovered or addressed.
The lawyers at Kolsby Gordon have successfully litigated a number of products liability claims, including recalls of fen-phen and Baycol, as well as representing individuals in some of the nation’s first cases against the makers of diethylstilbestrol (DES), found to have serious cancer risks. Our team of lawyers includes two doctors and a former nurse, each of whom understand both the legal and medical implications involved in the Stryker recall.
To learn more about how Kolsby Gordon can help you pursue a Stryker lawsuit, please contact one of our lawyers today, or call the firm at 215-874-6477.
