Settlement following negligently performed hip replacement surgery

Our client, a man in his forties, underwent hip replacement surgery during which appropriate procedures were not followed. A hip replacement typically involves a prosthetic cup inserted into your hip bone, a prosthetic ball joint inserted into your femur (your thigh bone) and then the ball joint and socket are then placed together as an artificial hip joint.

Common issues can arise where either the wrong size or wrong material prosthetic joint is used, or the prosthetic joint is applied incorrectly. In this case, the prosthetic cup was put in at the wrong angle, and as a result, the hip joint would easily come apart.

Suffering significant pain after the operation, it was identified that our client would need additional surgery in the future to rectify those mistakes. The client needed an immediate hip replacement to correct the error made in the first operation. Our client’s symptoms settled after the corrective surgery but the client had a long period of recovery following the second surgery, especially coming so quickly after the first surgery.

As he was still relatively young, and the lifespan of a hip replacement is relatively limited, the negligent surgery and it’s effects meant our client is likely to need additional hip operations sooner than might otherwise be expected. Future surgeries were likely to get more difficult over time, and likely to last for a shorter and shorter lifespan. As a result of our client’s previously very active personal life and a job role involving a lot of walking, this meant he was severely impacted.

The NHS Hospitals Trust had initially disputed that mistakes were made, but our team was able to gain expert opinions from an orthopaedic expert about the quality of the care given and the prognosis in the future. Compensation was claimed not just for the physical impact of the poorly performed hip replacement, but also for the psychological consequences suffered by the client. The award also included compensation for lost earnings, both now and for when further hip replacements were likely to be needed in the future.

We understand that the consequences of medical negligence can be devastating. A compensation award provides not just a recognition of the injury that occurred, but also provides funds to pay for treatment, therapies, care, or other support that might be needed.

We are here to support you in bringing a claim. If you feel you have been the victim of medical negligence, get in touch with our specialist colleagues for a free no obligation discussion about your potential case.