We all know that as we age, we might find ourselves spending more time in the company of doctors and pharmacists. Certain parts of the body face more wear and tear through years of use than others, and one of these in particular is the hips.
As such, hip surgery is not at all uncommon for Britain’s over-50 population. While many go right, some can go wrong, leaving patients worse off. Where do you turn when you’re faced with a medical negligence hip replacement case?
Who needs hip replacements?
Data shows that April 2020 – March 2021 saw 30,937 hip replacement procedures for NHS patients in the UK. Of these, the vast majority were aged 50 or older (92.7%) and many more were conducted on female patients than male.
Hip replacements are so common due to the intensive usage our hip joints face year in, year out. A lifetime of walking, running, carrying, and standing and sitting down repeatedly can eventually wear down and damage joints.
Additionally, conditions like arthritis can cause pain that needs hip replacement surgery to alleviate.
Can hip replacements go wrong?
While the data suggests that the vast majority of hip replacements fortunately go well for patients, not everybody feels better after their surgery. Some may even feel worse.
Medical negligence is an ongoing problem for any healthcare service, and with modern hip replacements intended to last at least 15 years without further intervention, a bad hip replacement robs many years of relief from victims of clinical negligence in this field.
Typically, a medical negligence hip replacement case is one that leaves a patient in a state of suffering as a result of the surgery. You might feel that this is the fault of the surgeon, or of the implant’s manufacturer if it is clearly not fit for purpose.
While there are a few ways in which replacements can degrade over time or alter a patient’s physiology, the surgeries are not expected to cause the patient extra pain or need repeating in a short space of time.
What can I do about medical negligence for a hip replacement?
If you’ve been left suffering as a result of a hip replacement surgery and feel that something must have gone wrong, the first call is to get sound legal advice.
An initial consultation will allow you to go through the events and explain everything in detail, while also giving us the chance to ask for any extra information that can help shape our understanding. If you have a case, you can work together with your solicitor to take it from there.
Medical negligence can leave patients with years of unnecessary suffering and distress, and nobody should go through it without justice being served.
To find out if you have a case for medical negligence or to start a claim, contact Mark Reynolds Solicitors today.