Award for failure of hip replacement.

The CNCI team have helped a client recover an award of compensation after she experienced significant problems with a replacement hip joint. After living with osteoarthritis for many years our client underwent a total left hip replacement. The surgery was intended to improve mobility and reduce pain. The manufacturer of the joint used in the surgery was a company called 3M Capital.

Unfortunately the surgery was not a success. After the replacement surgery our client suffered 3 hip dislocations in as many months. Each episode necessitated attendance at A&E and an orthopaedic unit.

Numerous consultations occurred between 1996 and 2004 but doctors involved did not pick up on the fact that the acetabular component of the joint had become loose. A revision operation was carried out but our client experienced years of discomfort and compromised mobility.

In investigating the claim we obtained expert evidence. This revealed that had the defendant found the loosening of the component at an appropriate stage then the procedure would have been revised in 1998 and her mobility would have been much greater.

Initially the defendant made an offer for £5,000 which we rejected. After obtaining more medical evidence and negotiating with the defendants we were able to secure £60,000 for our client. Kim Daniells of the CNCI team said "There have been numerous well publicised issues with replacement hip joints over recent years. It is known that some types of hip joint are prone to fail. In other cases problems occur because of clinical errors. Patients who undergo surgery but experience subsequent problems should seek medical advice".