From victim to lone fighter: Vijay Vojhala versus J&J
NEW DELHI: It took medical representative Vijay Vojhala two years to discover his artificial hip implant was faulty.
“As a medical representative, I met at least 15 orthopaedic doctors each week but no one mentioned the implant had been recalled. I lived with the faulty implant for two years,” said Vojhala, who is 45. “Most people with the implant don’t know they can avail of the compensatory revision surgery, and live in pain”.
Vojhala was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, a condition where the bone tissue dies because of the loss of blood supply. A surgery to decompress the core to restore the blood flow didn’t work, so he was advised total hip replacement surgery.
His luck ran out in 2008 when he chose a Johnson & Johnson articular surface replacement implants. “At the time of the surgery, the surgeon said it was the best available as a metal on metal implant is likely to last longer. Since I was young, I did not want revision surgery,” said Vojhala.
What he did not know that concerns were being raised about the safety of the implant globally.
Six months after the surgery, his pain increased and his limp became more pronounced.
“I was at a medical conference when my orthopaedic doctor friends asked me what was wrong and I mentioned the implant that I had used. They advised me to get the cobalt and chromium levels tested,” said Vojhala.
The metal levels were through the roof, which led to Vojhala losing some teeth, his hearing in the right ear and his job.
After he learned the implant was faulty, he reached out to Johnson and Johnson for the revision surgery in 2010. It took a lot of haggling with the company before he could get a compensatory revision surgery in 2012.
Vojhala also reached out to the government authorities. “It was because of my persistence that a committee was finally set up, but it seems like an eyewash...Why should Indians be paid just ₹20 lakh as compensation anyway? It should be the same as international payouts as the suffering is the same,” he said.