Identifying Your Hip Replacement Parts: A Guide for Patients

Sometimes a person receives a hip joint replacement only to find out later that the part is being recalled or the joint needs to be revised. If you don't remember the hip and joint replacement part name and number, or your surgery was years ago, you can still find the type of parts they put inside you. There are a few ways you can get access to those records.

Instructions

• 1

  Read and examine the hospital papers that the orthopedic surgeon's office gave you when you were discharged. These should include details about your procedure, the parts and how much it all cost.

• 2

  Call the orthopedic surgeon's office where you had your surgery done. Provide the necessary information needed to release your records. This information will include the date of surgery and the surgeon's name. In some places, you will need your insurance number and date of birth.

• 3

  Call the hospital medical records department for the information. It should be able to give you the information you seek.

• 4

  Go to the orthopedic surgeon's office and talk to the receptionist or the person in charge of medical records. Ask her to write the information down for you so you will have a copy.

• 5

  Write a letter requesting the information from the hospital where you had your hip surgery. Address your letter to the Chief Administrative Officer of the hospital and make a copy of your letter. If you don't know the name of the Chief Administrative Officer, call the hospital and ask. In the letter, include your birth date, full name and the time frame of treatment, and inform the officer that you want the information on your hip joint replacement. Write a follow-up letter in two weeks if you don't receive a reply.