Hip and Knee Implant Surgery Linked to Heart Attack Risk

A new study suggests that older patients undergoing a hip or knee replacement surgery may have an increased risk of having a heart attack in the first 14 days after the operation compared to those who do not need the procedure.

Researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands examined records for 95,000 people who had a hip or knee replaced in Denmark between 1998 and 2007, according to Reuters Health. They compared each of these people to three people of the same age and gender who were not having a joint replaced.

The researchers found that in the two weeks after having hip replacement surgery, patients were almost 26 times more likely to have a heart attack compared to those who did not have surgery. In the following three to six weeks after surgery, the risk was still five times higher, according to Reuters Health.

Knee replacement patients were 31 times more likely to suffer a heart attack two weeks after surgery, but their risk fell to normal after that time.The authors of the study did note that although it is not clear that the hip and knee procedures directly caused the heart attacks, it is likely that they played a role. They also noted that having joint replacement surgery could impact the risk because cutting into bones may lead to clot formation in the bone marrow.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by an unsafe knee or hip replacement, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if a product liability lawyer may be able to help you. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.

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