The Risk of Infection May Outweigh the Benefits of the DePuy Knee Replacement Device

DePuy Knee Lawsuit News

Infections at the point of contact between the bone and the DePuy knee replacement device are on the rise

Thursday, November 29, 2018 - Doctors, nurses and operating room staff strive to maintain a sterile environment at all times during surgery to avoid causing an infection. An infection is most likely to occur at the site of the surgical incision. The risks of infection increase many times when a medical device implant like the DePuy knee replacement device is implanted within a patient. Infections at the point of contact between the artificial knee device and the tibia and femur are the most likely points for an infection to develop. In certain instances, surgical infections can be attributed to the contamination of the medical device at the point where it is manufactured. Another time contamination occurs when the packaging is opened and the device is left in the open air for a time before being implanted. Whenever infection occurs it presents a serious complication that could result in intense pain, bone loss, and ultimately the loosening of the device due to the artificial knee device debonding.

According to an article published at www.healio.com " In its annual report, the American Joint Replacement Registry listed infection as a leading cause of TKA and THA revisions from 2012 to 2016. Research has also shown failures due to periprosthetic joint infection are expected to increase at an annual rate of between 38,000 cases and 270,000 cases by the year 2030."

Infection can cause the physical bond between bone and knee replacement device to come unglued. Instances of pain and looseness in the knee are usually treated with revision surgery. A second surgery, however, can redouble the risks of infection that the patient had in the first place. The surgical risks of infections developing during knee replacement surgery are downplayed by surgeons and doctors that consult with patients about their surgery. It is no wonder that doctors seem to be "too busy" to talk or are otherwise never to be found to answer a surgical patient's questions. Infections are treatable if detected early, however, the problem lies when the pain is confused with normal post-surgical recover. A sure sign that the knee replacement patient has an infection is fever and flu-like symptoms in addition to abnormal redness, swelling, hotness, and tenderness around the surgical site.

Patients experiencing post-surgical symptoms of infection should see their doctors immediately. Millions of senior citizens have opted total knee replacement surgery as a solution to their arthritic knee pain when they may have been better off to continue with their pain medications and undergo mild physical therapy. Many seniors are disappointed in the outcomes of their surgery and have been left in more pain than the knee joint osteoarthritis, to begin with. Senior citizens with knee replacement infections can be disabled for months or even years and some are never able to walk normally again. Doctors, hospitals and Depuy Synthes, the manufacturer of the DePuy Knee replacement device have had claims filed against them by patients that developed infections that required multiple revision surgeries. If you or a loved one is suffering from knee replacement surgical infection you may qualify to file a monetary claim and be compensated for medical expenses and pain and suffering and are encouraged to contact a DePuy knee attorney. There is no excuse for the DePuy Knee replacement device not to live up to the expectations placed upon it by DePuy Synthes who has profited billions of dollars, sometimes at the expense of overly-trusting senior citizens.

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