A Michigan Man’s Battle With Cobalt Poisoning After Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants

When J.K. underwent hip replacement surgery, the goal was simple: to regain mobility and preserve an active life. His surgeon replaced both hips with metal-on-metal (MoM) implants manufactured by DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Each hip implant consisted of a cobalt-chromium alloy ball and liner.

Unfortunately, complications from the hip implants harmed J.K.’s mobility, forcing him to take early retirement. He also had to stop working with his community’s emergency response team.

Using his initials to protect his privacy, J.K. shared his story with Drugwatch. He hopes to warn others about the risks of MoM hip implants.

For years after surgery, J.K.’s recovery seemed typical. But one autumn, around Thanksgiving, he began experiencing troubling symptoms that worsened over time.

He noticed extreme fatigue, brain fog, balance problems and vertigo. The signs of hip implant complications gradually escalated, ultimately making work and community involvement impossible.

“I now require a cane for mobility and have a permanent handicap placard issued by my physician,” J.K. told Drugwatch.

J.K. suffered from a long list of symptoms, including hip pain, headaches, irregular heart conditions, irritability, vertigo and popping and clicking in his hip joints. His doctor documented each issue in J.K.’s medical records.

Despite extensive testing, frequent doctor’s visits and thorough documentation of each issue in his medical records, J.K. still didn’t know what was causing his problems.

After J.K. dealt with these symptoms for a few years, one of his family friends — a registered nurse — suggested cobalt poisoning from the metal hip implants could be the cause. Cobalt poisoning, sometimes called metallosis, occurs when cobalt or other heavy metals accumulate in the body, potentially causing a variety of health issues.

Armed with this information, J.K. was able to get blood tests at the Mayo Clinic. The results were alarming: His cobalt levels were over four times the upper safety threshold. Doctors decided J.K. needed revision surgery to remove and replace both hip implants.

While awaiting his revision surgeries, a follow-up test confirmed that J.K.’s cobalt levels had jumped to eight times the norm. He also had abnormally elevated chromium levels.

Facing mounting toxicity, J.K. underwent two revision surgeries to replace the failing MoM implants with non-cobalt alternatives. Doctors revised his left hip first, then replaced the right hip a couple of months later.

“During both surgeries, the orthopedic surgeon observed black residue, evidence of corrosion and significant tissue damage,” J.K. said.

His right hip contained widespread black debris and thickened scar tissue that required extensive cleaning.

“Since the surgeries, I’ve begun to experience gradual improvements in my symptoms,” J.K. told Drugwatch.

J.K. has worked to better understand what happened to him and credits much of his new understanding of MoM implant risks to Dr. Stephen Tower.

Dr. Tower, both a surgeon and a metallosis patient, endured symptoms from MoM implants and cobalt poisoning. He has since raised public alerts about cobalt toxicity in many ways, including via the documentary The Bleeding Edge.

The physical, emotional and financial burdens J.K. has endured have permanently changed his life.

He is now seeking legal support in the hope of finding accountability and compensation for:

• Deeply reduced quality of life
• Lost income and career
• Medical costs (present and future)
• Pain and suffering

For anyone going through hip implant complications or cobalt/chromium poisoning, his story stands as both a plea for justice and a warning.