Toxic hip implant has cost me prime years of my life

Campaigning mum on how she lives with constant pain

- BY HANNA GEISSLER

A WOMAN who endured cobalt poisoning after a toxic hip implant is leading calls for action to stop others suffering due to faulty medical devices.

Tracey O'Neill, 57, lived for six years with a failing implant that led to symptoms including persistent pain, brain fog, extreme fatigue and an abnormal heart rhythm.

Her concerns were dismissed by doctors until the cause was confirmed when she had a complex hip revision in 2020. That procedure later failed due to the death of bone tissue, requiring further surgery.

Tracey said: "I started this journey when I was 44. I feel prime years of my life have been taken away from me. I live in pain every day. I can't do things a 57-year-old would do.

"When I feel up to going for a short walk or sit too long, there are harsh consequences."

Traceyis one of more than 2,000 patients thought to have a specific model of implant - a Profemur cobalt-chrome modular neck - found to increase risk of cobalt poisoning and soft tissue reactions.

PROBLEM

Cobalt is a silvery metal used in implants. If an implant fails, cobalt can be released into the body, causing a range of serious problems.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency announced in September that hospitals would contact those affected.