metal allergy

[Axel Andy]

I need to know how to get the prosthesis companies to talk to me (the patient) and tell me every single component of their revision line...including trace materials under the required 2% FDA "must report" limit.  My surgeon has done many revisions but I'm his first metal allergy (cobalt & nickel...so far).  He has no problem with me doing this research as this (research) is part of what I do for a living.  However, none of the joint companies will talk to me.  None of the reps will talk to me.  They only want to talk to the surgeon who is in surgery all the time, or meeting with patients.  They tell me this information is "proprietary" (the trace alloys).  I'm not concerned in a lawsuit.  After all, when you go into surgery you sign your life away.
An allergy to a small amount of nickel, in my case, would mean revising the revision.

Can anybody help me around this?  The osteolysis is progressing; the pain is progressing; the need for more pain meds is progressing.  This run-around has been going on since April.

K

[pwalter]

Hi

I think you are fighting an uphill battle.  Unless you can make good friends with a doctor who can get that specific info for you, I don't think you will find any easy way of getting such info.  I am sure it is very propritary from the hip device companies.  Other than their normal info and medical studies, I don't know what to tell you.

Are you considering a revision to a ceramic on ceramic?

Pat

[fedup]

What exactly are you trying to find? Is it a prosthesis without cobalt and nickel? Have you been tested for titanium? Was your surgeon thinking about metal on polyethylene? I will try looking as I had to research metal contents in the past.

[pwalter]

Hi K

I apologize, but I removed your comment about your Zimmer hip device and lack of information about the metals in the other devices. 

I was trying to remove the last remark which was spam and not by a person needing or just receiving a hip.  By mistake, I removed your response.  It was not on purpose.  I don't have a way of going back to renew it - I AM SORRY.  I wish I could replace it, but have never found a way thru the admin tools to do so.

Again, I am sorry and did not mean to remove your post.

Pat