Surrey mother seeks compensation for metal hip

A 40-year-old mother from Surrey is taking legal action after her metal replacement hip caused her agony.

Susanna Derham from Horley has had to give up work after the metal hip wore away four years after it was inserted.

DePuy Orthopeadics Inc, the company which made the ASR replacement hip, announced a worldwide recall of the product in August 2010.

Ms Derham said she was told the implants were originally expected to last for up to 25 years.

The ASR replacement hip consists of a metal ball attached to the top of the thigh bone, with a metal cup replacing the hip socket.

Ms Derham said four years after her left hip had been replaced with an ASR hip, "I started to have groin pain, further down the line swelling and everyday activities became harder".

'Wearing away'

Lawyers representing Ms Derham said studies had shown the metal surfaces of the implant wore away, releasing particles that are absorbed into the blood causing secondary health problems.

Ms Derham said she was now seeking compensation for the failed hip implant.

She added: "I don't know if I ever will totally recover from this. It's worrying and you just don't really know what the future holds for you."

A spokesman for DePuy said: "Since the recall decision was made, DePuy has worked to provide patients and surgeons with the information and support they need.

"DePuy is committed to addressing reasonable and customary costs of testing and treatment for reasons related to the ASR recall and DePuy's efforts to support ASR patients and their surgeons remain a top priority."

Ms Derham had the ASR metal hip replaced with a ceramic implant in November 2011.

She is one of about 120 people seeking compensation for failed ASR hip implants.