Thousands of hip replacement patients may be at risk of metal poisoning due to hidden wear and tear of the implants used, campaigners have warned.
The problems arise from a type of “flexible” prosthesis used in the UK between 2009 and 2017, particularly among younger patients who were thought to benefit the most.
However, it was later discovered that these implants, which had cobalt components, could degrade, causing small metal fragments to leak into the bloodstream.
Cobalt poisoning has been linked to memory loss, depression, vision and hearing problems, heart failure, and nerve damage.
Although it was withdrawn from use, it is believed that around 5,000 patients may have had cobalt implants and patient groups are now urging the NHS to contact all those known to have had one, so they can be monitored.
The issues arise from a type of flexible hip implant used in the UK between 2009 and 2017, particularly among younger patients who were thought to benefit the most.
A woman has gone public how a hip implant she received in 2014 had a devastating impact on her.
Former fitness instructor Tracey O’Neill hoped the procedure would help her regain her mobility when she had her first operation aged 46.
Instead, she has suffered from health problems for years that have left her feeling like she is “trapped in the body of a 90-year-old” and at one point made people doubt her sanity.
Mrs O’Neill, who had a second similar implant installed in her hip in 2015, first noticed general pain and swelling around the joint.
In 2019, he was suffering from shortness of breath and fatigue, as well as heart problems.
“It got to the point where I couldn’t even, in a basic yoga class, get up and off the floor,” she said. The telegraph.
‘Sometimes I would be talking to people and I would just forget the next word. People would think he had just lost his temper.
Although Ms O’Neill suffered from these problems for years and the NHS suspended general use of these implants in 2017 after the risks became clear, it was not until 2020 that doctors made the link between her symptoms and the artificial joint.
Now 56, he underwent surgery to remove the first of the implants, replacing it with one made of an alternative material, and the second is being monitored for signs of wear.
An estimated 100,000 such patients received such an implant worldwide, and some of the thousands of people in Britain who underwent hip replacements in the period when they were most widely used
Ms O’Neil says no one from the NHS has taken responsibility for the lack of follow-up as to why her symptoms have gone unnoticed for so long and fears many other patients may be in a similar situation.
Cobalt chrome implants were originally touted as innovative when they were first released, as they had greater flexibility than standard artificial joints and adhered more closely to the patient’s original healthy tissue.
However, it was later discovered that wear between the metal parts of the implant could cause small metal particles to leak into the bloodstream.
These could then react with the body’s natural fluids to essentially create a battery chemical reaction, causing a host of potential health problems.
Campaigners and charities have now called for an urgent investigation by health safety regulators and for the NHS to ensure all patients are notified and offered monitoring for cobalt poisoning and revision surgery if necessary. stock image
An estimated 100,000 patients have received cobalt implants worldwide.
Not all of these implants are expected to fail, but advocates say any patient who has one should be monitored to ensure its continued integrity.
Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, which campaigns for people over 60, called on the NHS and health safety regulators to urgently trace those who may have received these implants.
“All potentially affected patients should be contacted and their current health conditions assessed, with an option for hip replacement if necessary,” he said.
While many surgeons have stopped using implants due to increasing failure rates and health problems, they are still technically available as an option that is not banned.
Other implants that use cobalt chrome are also still used, although they are combined with other materials that reduce the risk of wear seen in older models.
However, some surgeons have urged hip replacements to avoid using cobalt in any implants, fearing its toxicity.
Responding to calls for action, the UK’s medical device regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said they continue to monitor the safety of hip implants and are seeking expert advice on whether action needs to be taken. case of problem reports.
A spokesperson for NHS England added that the health service would support any action regulators consider appropriate.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which carried out Mrs O’Neill’s original operation, said they were sorry to hear of her difficulties.
A spokesman added that there was no indication of problems with the implants in 2014 and that follow-ups were not mandatory for patients in Ms O’Neill’s circumstances.