Patient Stuck with DePuy Hip for the Rest of Her Life

Oak Grove, MOHaving a DePuy Hip replacement device implanted might seem like a life sentence to some patients whose devices were affected by the hip replacement recall. That is because even if their DePuy hip has not yet failed, there is a chance it will in the future, and they may face revision surgery. For one patient, however, her DePuy hip implant really is a life sentence. She has been told she is not a candidate for revision surgery, regardless of whether she has the recalled DePuy hip implant.

"I'm an extreme case," Kendra says. "I have a rare and fatal illness diagnosed by the Mayo Clinic called dysautonomia [a disease of the autonomic nervous system] that affects my nerves, bones and organs. It's gotten to the point that a yeast infection could kill me. So, I'm not even a candidate to have any more surgeries.

"I'm 33 years old. I'm still trying to figure out what type of DePuy implant was used, but I know it was a DePuy implant. It has to be a defective implant because the hip will lock up and I get terrible pain in the groin. It's similar to how a regular hip pops out. That's the only way I can explain it. It pops out and won't go back into place and I can't do anything. I can't bend over or sit because if I sit the wrong way, it feels like it locks up and then it's painful.

"It affects everything; my walking, getting in and out of the shower, trying to shave, sex and other personal things. I can hardly live because it affects me so badly. If I get down I can't get back up. I'm stuck.

"I had a full left hip replacement in 2008 and a partial right replacement before that one. The left side hurts more than the right, but the problem affects both. That left hip has never recovered since the surgery.

"Basically, I'm not a candidate for replacement surgery because the smallest of infections can kill me. I'm going to have to live with this for the rest of my life. Right now, I'm just trying to get approved for a walk-in shower because getting in and out of the shower is so difficult.

"My new motto is to live life to the fullest and appreciate your health and blessings. Don't take anything for granted."