More than one thousand lawsuits have been filed against Philadelphia area company Johnson & Johnson according to reports. These law suits are all filed against the company for its hip replacements. Due to the high number of cases, the FDA's interest has been peaked.
According to a May 11th report, the US Food and Drug Administration asked Johnson & Johnson as well as 20 other replacement part makers to study whether implants raise the level of metal in patients' blood to dangerous levels.
The worldwide hip replacement market is a huge one and one that is expected to grow by at least 3.2% this year from 5.28 billion in 2010. Could it, however, be an industry that is putting Philadelphia patients and patients all over the world at risk?
Patients who underwent a hip replacement surgery and received a DePuy hip replacement system have complained of symptoms including swelling and problems walking nearing the five year mark after their surgery.
According to an FDA statement, "a small number of patients in which high levels of metal ions in the bloodstream may have caused other types of symptoms or illnesses elsewhere in the body, including effects on the heart, nervous system, and thyroid gland."
If you or a loved one has suspects they have suffered injury due to a bad hip replacement or a dangerous surgical procedure, contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer or a Pennsylvania malpractice lawyer today.
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