BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor:
One of the amazing developments in modern medicine that has become amazingly common is the
hip replacement
. But now one type of replacement hips that's been installed over the years is starting to fail, leaving doctors and patients facing one of this nation's largest
medical device
failures ever. Our report tonight from our chief medical editor, Dr.
Nancy Snyderman
.
Ms. ILA LEWIS:
Here we go,
Des
.
Dr. NANCY SNYDERMAN reporting:
Hip replacement
surgery has given millions of Americans like
Ila Lewis
a second chance to enjoy an active life.
Ms. LEWIS:
Come on, come on, come on.
SNYDERMAN:
But there's a growing concern that one type of
hip replacement
device called
metal
-on-
metal
is failing faster than devices made of other materials. In these implants, the ball and socket of the device are both made from
metal
.
Ms. LEWIS:
Those hips were going to last me 20 years, I was told.
SNYDERMAN:
But within just five years of getting this kind of implant,
Lewis
had to have both hips replaced with nonmetal components.
Ms. LEWIS:
I was experiencing 102 fever every night and pain in my right hip, much more painful than what sent me to have my hip done
in the first place
.
SNYDERMAN:
The
metal
ball and cup slide against each other and over time tiny
metal
particles can wear off, potentially causing damage around the implant and in the joint. In rare cases the debris can even enter the blood stream and cause a reaction.
Dr. JOSHUA JACOBS (Rush University Medical Center):
If you start to get any symptoms around the hip, such as pain or swelling, then you really should consult with your orthopedic surgeon.
SNYDERMAN:
So far this year, the
FDA
has received nearly 11,000 complaints about
metal
-on-
metal
implants. One model, made by
DePuy
, the
ASR XL
, was recalled in the
United States
last year after reports of a high early failure rate. In a statement,
DePuy
says, "
Metal
-on-
metal
remains an important
hip replacement
option. The performance of the
ASR Hip System
is not indicative of all
metal
-on-
metal
devices." Critics say more needs to be done to regulate
medical devices
.
Ms. DIANA ZUCKERMAN (National Research Center for Women Families):
The main problem with
medical device
regulation is they're not held to as high a standard as prescription drugs.
SNYDERMAN:
This spring the
FDA
began requiring 21 manufacturers to examine the safety of this type of
hip replacement
. It's always important to make sure you've exhausted all kinds of therapies, including good
pain management
, before you consider any kind of surgery. And increasingly,
Brian
, we're seeing hip replacements required in women. They're living longer and they're much more active in their senior years.
WILLIAMS:
But boy, are we going to be hearing more about these.
SNYDERMAN:
Yes, we are.
WILLIAMS:
Nancy Snyderman
. Thanks, as always.
“ ”