Durom Cup Hip Replacement: A Victim’s Struggle
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A great article posted on the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette website Monday tells the story of a California woman who has experienced numerous problems with the Zimmer Durom cup hip device. Trudie Millerburg, an active 63 year-old, had total hip replacement surgery in April of 2007. Her surgeon, world renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lawrence Dorr, chose to use the Zimmer Durom cup hip replacement system in Millburg’s surgery, a decision he would soon regret.
After the operation the Durom cup was supposed to fuse with bone creating and strong and permanent hip replacement solution; however, in Millburg’s case, as in many others, the Durom cup loosened and began to rub against her nerves, causing excruciating pain. Millburg has since had surgery to replace the Durom cup with a more conventional hip replacement device, but this device is does not suit her active lifestyle has dislocated on two separate occasions. She will undergo an additional surgery in August that she hopes will be a more permanent solution that fits her lifestyle.
Zimmer, the world’s largest hip replacement manufacturer, suspended U.S. marketing of the Durom cup last summer after they were notified by Millburg’s surgeon, Dr. Dorr, of an extremely high rate of failure that he and his colleagues had seen with Durom cup. According to Zimmer the Durom cup is a safe and effective product and the increased rate of failure that has been seen is due to a lack of training on how to properly implant the device. Dorr opposes this reasoning insisting that the Durom cup has a fundamental design flaw that prevents it from properly fusing with the bone. Dorr expressed his opinion to his fellow surgeons at this year’s annual meeting of the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Millburg has joined with many others who have experienced similar complications with the Durom cup in filing a lawsuit against the manufacturer in an effort to recoup compensation for the $150,000 worth of medical bills and pain and suffering that she suffered as a result of Zimmer’s allegedly defective product.
Millerburg can’t imagine a sedentary lifestyle and still swims and walks regularly despite some pain. But she wants to fully regain her independent lifestyle. She feels limited by her hip brace and hopes the upcoming surgery will finally turn the page on her troubles.