As New Jersey and Pennsylvania Depuy hip recall attorneys, we have been posting various bits of information regarding the Depuy hip recall and its effect on recipients of the implant. We hope these posts have been helpful to not only patients who have experienced implant failure, but to all Depuy hip recall patients, regardless of whether or not they have experienced pain or symptoms associated with the DePuy hip implant failure.
Did the FDA Have Anything to Do With the Recall?
Recently a Depuy hip implant patient asked us, “What does the federal government have to say about the Depuy hip implant recall?” As many know, medical devices, such as artificial hips, prosthesis, knee joint replacements, and other implants, are supposed to be regulated by the Food and Drug administration (FDA). According to its website, the FDA is charged with responsibility for:
“protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.”
Despite this responsibility, the FDA has not done much regarding the recall since July 17, 2010, the date they posted information on specific recalled devices. The recall contained DePuy technical data that listed all of the various sized component parts of the DePuy ASR hip replacement system. As for the reason for the recall, the FDA quoted Depuy, stating that the recall was caused by “notification to clinicians of new revision rate data/information regarding use of the device.” What does that mean? It means that DePuy and the FDA were receiving complaints that the hip implant was failing at an alarming rate, causing the necessity for revision surgeries to rise to a new and unacceptable level. These complaints started coming in shortly after DePuy was granted approval to market their device in the United States in 2003.
DePuy Hip Recall Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
Unfortunately, the FDA has not provided any additional information to patients about what to do next. In fact, the FDA website refers all inquiries back to Depuy’s home office in Indiana. As New Jersey Depuy hip recall attorneys, we urge the FDA to be more diligent in its reporting of consumer complaints regarding medical devices. The device was approved for use in 2003, and was on the market for 7 years before it was finally recalled. Had the complaints been investigated sooner, perhaps surgeons and potential Depuy hip implant patients would have thought twice about using this defective hip replacement product.
If you are the recipient of a DePuy ASR XL Acetabular hip implant system, or an ASR XL Hip Resurfacing System, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Our defective product attorneys are skilled in earning full and fair compensation for victims of negligent and defective manufacturing.