Hip Replacements And Medical Malpractice

Hips replacements are one of the most painful and slowest to recover surgeries out there. The hip is a very complex joint and there are a lot of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, veins, and arteries. The hip is also weight bearing, meaning the body’s weight is placed on that joint. So an injury here is very painful and could result in additional and prolonged recovery because it is weight bearing.

This is why it is important to repair hip injuries correctly the first time. Additional surgeries just re-start the time period to heal. Additional surgeries also call further injury to the bone and surrounding tissue. Damage to the surrounding bone does not come back, and is permanent.

When a healthcare provider fails to properly perform a hip replacement, it is medical malpractice and very serious. For elderly patients, a hip replacement can be the beginning of the end. In very young patient, a hip replacement will need to be re-done approximately every 15 to 20 years depending how well the person ages and the propriety of the surgery. This means that a young patient could need to go through three or more surgeries in a lifetime. When one is done wrong, an additional unnecessary surgery just adds a lot of pain and suffering. It also makes it that much harder to perform other future surgeries.

There are many common causes for hip replacement medical malpractice causing damages to patients, which include the following:

• Miscommunication errors;
• Improperly performing the procedure;
• Failing to avoid nerves;
• Failing to avoid veins or arteries;
• Unnecessarily performing a hip replacement;
• Causing an infection;
• Taking too much bone out;
• Not putting the hip implant in properly;
• Failing to properly cement the replacement in;
• Excessive manipulation of the bones or implant;
• Damaging too much surrounding muscle;
• Failing to provide antibiotics;
• Improperly closing the wound; and
• Many other errors.

Serious mistakes can result in long-term and permanent injuries during a hip replacement. Healthcare providers must be careful and properly care for patients or else it could affect a person’s entire life.