Aussie grandma loses 'years off her life' after surgery ruined by faulty implant
Kerry Scott says she just wants her life back after living in pain for years.
An Aussie grandma who was "fearful of dying" following a knee replacement surgery says the thought of having the procedure again makes her want to cry.
But that is what Kerry Scott is facing after her 2020 operation went horribly wrong when the Exactech implant lodged in her knee turned out to be faulty.
"We were always active. We liked swimming and sports and camping. After the implants, I thought it was going to be better, but it wasn't," Kerry, from Wyee in NSW, told Yahoo News Australia.
"My double knee surgery was meant to give me my life back," she added, dubbing it "life-changing". "I was looking forward to the prospect of being able to play with my 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, pain-free."
Major recall affecting 200,000 patients
In 2021, a global recall was issued on 200,000 Exactech implants due to faulty packaging. The exact number of Australians affected by this recall remains unknown. According to the US-based company, the implants, while designed to be long-lasting, have been shown to ‘lead to both accelerated wear debris production, bone loss, and/or component fatigue cracking or fracture’. This is due to ‘oxidation’ that has degraded the material, a specialist polyethylene, the implants were made from, resulting in breakages.
Due to the faulty implants, patients, including Kerry, have been suffering from extreme pain, fractures, loss of movement and in many cases, have required further surgeries to rectify the issues.
Kerry 'very upset' after learning of complications
Kerry said she realised something was wrong almost immediately after the surgery when the knee began to "give [her] trouble". It was at a follow-up appointment with her surgeon that she first learned of the recall, which made her very "upset".
"Rather than improving my quality of life, the implant, and second surgery has meant I not only still have difficulty playing with my grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but I now also struggle to complete daily activities," said the 70-year-old. "I've lost four years of my life."
Kerry said she can no longer visit the beach because she struggles on the sand, which was once one of her favourite things to do. The NSW woman also experiences "extreme" pain in her right knee, often worse than before the surgery, and now requires a second operation to have them replaced.
However, complications from her last operation makes her "scared" to go ahead because of the reaction she had to the anaesthesia. "I ended up in the ICU for a week, which was extremely difficult for myself and my family. It actually stopped my heart," she explained.
Class action lawsuit for 'vulnerable Australians'
Sydney-based law firm Gerard Malouf and Partners Law has now initiated a class action against the company with hopes of compensating Aussies who've been affected by the faulty products.
"We have received multiple complaints from patients who are suffering from significant health complications after receiving one of these Exactech implants. While the company has recalled the product, for hundreds and potentially thousands of Australians, the damage has already been done.” said Chairman of GMP Law, Gerard Malouf.
"Most of these patients are vulnerable Australians who are now suffering as a direct result of Exactech’s negligence. We want to see all of those impacted receive fair and just compensation."
While Exactech is covering the cost of replacement surgeries, GMP Law believes these measures have not gone far enough to adequately compensate patients, many of whom may not be eligible for further surgeries.
"I just press on, but I don't want all other people to go through this," Kerry said. "It's what I've got to do".
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