Power Morcellation Cancer
Written by Faith Anderson on February 24, 2015
Hysterectomy Cancer Risk from Power Morcellation May Increase With Age
Older women undergoing hysterectomy or myectomy procedures with morcellation may be at a higher risk for cancer spreading throughout their bodies.
According to the findings of two new studies, not only is the risk of cancer from hysterectomy morcellation procedures a real concern, but the potential for aggressive uterine cancers to be spread throughout the body during these procedures may actually increase with age. The new findings add to a growing body of research that has highlighted the risk of undiagnosed cancer disseminating throughout the body during hysterectomy or myomectomy procedures that use power morcellation. If you believe you have been adversely affected by side effects of power morcellation, contact a knowledgeable product liability lawyer today for legal help. With a qualified power morcellation attorney on your side, you can protect your legal rights and pursue the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Power Morcellation May Spread Undetected Cancer
Power morcellators are surgical devices commonly used by doctors to cut up the uterus or uterine fibroids during surgery so that the tissue can be removed through a small incision in the abdomen, a laparoscopic procedure designed to reduce recovery time, minimize scarring, and limit the risk of surgical complications. However, serious concerns have been raised recently about the cancer risk allegedly associated with hysterectomies and myomectomies involving the use of power morcellation, as women undergoing these procedures may have undiagnosed cancer that could spread to other organs after surgery and metastasize. This morcellation cancer risk led Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon subsidiary to remove its power morcellators from the market in 2014.
Potential Side Effects of Morcellation
Although morcellators rapidly became the surgical device of choice for laparoscopic hysterectomies, new reports have highlighted the potentially deadly complications that may be linked to the use of power morcellation. In the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, researchers from the University of Michigan found that 2.7% of women undergoing hysterectomy procedures to remove what are believed to be benign uterine fibroids were actually found to have undiagnosed uterine cancer, including 0.22% who had uterine sarcoma. In another study, published online by JAMA Oncology on February 19, researchers from Columbia University found that the prevalence of cancer in women who undergo hysterectomies and uterine fibroid removal surgeries appears to increase with age.
A Power Morcellation Cancer Lawyer Can Help
Last year, the FDA warned that one out of every 350 women who may undergo a hysterectomy or myomectomy with power morcellation may have unsuspected sarcoma, which doctors are unable to detect prior to surgery. Based on their findings, the researchers involved in these two new studies warn that “Electric power morcellation should be used with caution in older women undergoing myomectomy,” due to a potential risk of cancer that may increase with age. If you underwent a hysterectomy or uterine fibroid removal with power morcellation, and you have since been diagnosed with cancer, our consumer advocates at the Consumer Justice Foundation can help put you in touch with a reputable attorney who has experience handling morcellation cancer claims.