It’s hip to be square at the London Implant Retrieval Centre open day

In January, Gwynneth Lloyd won £1000 from the London U3A to support her work with the London Implant Retrieval Centre (LIRC) patient group. Gwynneth manages the LIRC, and runs the patient group for people who have had Metal on Metal hip replacement removed and has been able to use the money from from Focus on the Positive to fund more activities with the group. 

 

Weeks of preparation were over. June 16th had arrived – our 2nd open day for patients. Except now they are not patients, they are all well and mobile, thanks to the skill of surgeons. They have had their Metal on Metal (MOM) implants revised and have come to our open day.

 

Twenty four people came to this event and spent 4 hours with us. They had coffee on arrival, toured our offices and saw the equipment we use, watched a video about what we do and then handled their own implants and discussed their experiences with fellow patients. We provided lunch for everybody thanks to the money I won from Focus on the Positive. This was followed by a talk from John Skinner, surgeon, about the latest research being undertaken and then a question and answer session.

 

It is amazing how people respond. Everyone feels that we are doing worthwhile work even if we haven’t found an answer for failed implants. Everyone seems to have enjoyed the day according to our exit questionnaire. Many ask about how they can support us. Our biggest problem now is our website: I hope to spend some of the £1000 I won on improving the site.

 

What next? Another open day later this year – it is time to start planning again!

 

 

The LIRC is a research institute at UCL, located at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore. It leads the way in understanding how best to improve the performance of hip replacements. Metal on metal replacements are of particular interest, as they have been found to wear down at an accelerated rate in some patients. This deterioration can potentially cause damage to the bone and tissue around the hip and possibly cause traces of metal to leak into the bloodstream.  The NHS recommends all patients with metal on metal replacements to have annual check ups to monitor signs of these problems. More information and advice can be found on the NHS website.