In response to the news that DePuy Orthopaedics, the manufacturer of an artificial hip system, issued a recall of its ASR product line after data indicated a higher than expected need for device replacement surgery five years after the initial procedure, Dr. Eugene S. Krauss, chairman of the Department of Orthopedics and director of the Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Institute at Glen Cove Hospital, a member of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, states:
"This news should not alarm anyone who has had their joint replacement performed at The Center for Joint Replacements at Glen Cove Hospital, Southside Hospital, or Peconic Bay Medical Center, as we are not using any of these components. A properly positioned hip or knee replacement, done well, in a true center of excellence, by surgeons who are highly experienced, can last many decades. High tech implants are predominantly modular, and therefore replacing worn out bearings can be a relatively simple procedure.
"Today's technology offers remarkably durable, long-term solutions, and if a hospital insists on using the very best technology, patients can anticipate many years of success.
"Patients are looking for good long-term solutions: It is far more cost effective to have your surgery performed by a highly skilled team using the best implants available in America. Do it once. Do it well...and allow the patient to return to an active and long life."