The ASR system, which is supposed to last for at least15 years, is failing in patients after five years. With the potential of up to 100,000 patients being implanted with this device since 2005, the potential for revision surgery is staggering.

The metal-on-metal device can shed metal shards inside the patient's body, leading to discomfort, pain, and the need for revision surgery that is painful, long, and dangerous, especially given that there is, as the SF Gate pointed out, significantly less bone to work with because of the bone lost in the original surgery. What's more, the revision surgery is likelier to result in complications than the original surgery, said the SF Gate.

Symptoms of a failed DePuy hip implant include swelling, pain, and problems walking and can suggest an implant that has loosened or has detached, fracture of the bone surrounding the implant, or the implant's components dislocating, noted the SF Gate. According to the New York Times, surgeons conducting revision procedures have noticed dead tissue near the implants of some patients. Some patients also have high cobalt and chromium ion levels in their blood.

Meanwhile, nearly half of all DePuy hip replacement patients have not been contacted by their surgeons regarding the recall, meaning tens of thousands of people remain unaware that they have been implanted with a defective device and are at risk. Worse, because DePuy did not keep a list of implant patients, the onus is now on the patient to figure out of he/she has been implanted with a defective DePuy ASR.

If you have been implanted with one of these defective devices, you should immediately seek advice from a lawyer that is knowledgeable about the DePuy hip implant recall and the injuries associated with these hip implants. For a free consultation with such an attorney, complete the form to the right or call 212-566-1000.  Based in New York City, Sullivan & Brill, LLP represents clients throughout the United States.