June 17, 2014 — A study published in the British Medical Journal has linked the use of bone cement, an optional product that repairs hip fractures, with at least 41 deaths in England and Wales.
All of the incidents involved patients who had fractured their hip and were undergoing a hemiarthroplasty. This hip surgery is similar to a total hip replacement, except surgeons only replace the “ball” part of the hip, leaving the socket intact.
Researchers have been warning about the risks of bone cement since 2009, when the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) found that it could cause bone cement implantation syndrome (BCIS).
BCIS is a rare but life-threatening syndrome that typically occurs within 3 minutes of implanting bone cement, typically on the operating table. The patient’s bone releases fat and marrow into the bloodstream, which can clog arteries in the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. Other complications include hypoxia, low blood pressure, cardiac arrest, and death.
Unfortunately, safety warnings in 2009 were largely ignored and deaths continued to occur. This is surprising, because 22,000 people in England and Wales are treated with bone cement every year.
After looking at data from the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) between 2005 and 2012, researchers found 62 reports involving severe injury, including 41 reports of death. Fourteen patients had a cardiac arrest but were resuscitated. The researchers estimated that cardiac arrest or death occurred in about one in 3,000 people who were treated with bone cement.
Do I have a Bone Cement Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting bone cement induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by bone cement in hip surgery, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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