Technique or Product
August 11, 2008 – 3:13 pm
Recently, the New York Times ran a front-page story about the recall of the Zimmer Durom acetabular component of the metal on metal total hip prosthesis. The issue though not discussed in the article is the matter of product versus surgeon technique. Up until the advent of minimally invasive hip and knee surgery in 2001, the patient was concerned about the type of prosthesis to be implanted by the surgeon and the life expectancy of that implant. Over the last five years, that discussion has changed to center on the length of the incision and the length of hospitalization.
At the Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago, the concern is holistic with concern about the patient and the product. We believe that when possible, the patient should be discharged the day of surgery but not at the expense of a return visit to an emergency room in the middle of the night. So patient care is customized to the needs and best interest of our patient. So too is the length of the surgical incision and whenever possible, we use minimally invasive incisions for hip and knee replacement.
As far as the nature of the implant, we at NOHC have access to all prosthetic alternatives and match patient demand by implanting what best suits the patient need. While we have never used the Zimmer Durom Cup, our surgeons are trained, experienced in the three major weight bearing alternatives of metal on metal, ceramics, and metal on plastic. Our surgeons do the training so you may be assured of excellence and expertise when you have your hip or knee replacement at NOHC. If you have questions or concerns call and make an appointment with one of our joint replacement surgeons.
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One Response to “Technique or Product”
The question of whether it is surgeon technique or the nature of the durom cup that is causing the failures is not of great interest to many patients. Most seem to feel that it is a distinction without a difference. They feel that even if it is surgeon technique that is causing the failures, and that technique comes from Zimmer, Zimmer needs to teach surgeons a better technique.
By Durom Blog on Aug 29, 2008