Women Should Be Warned That Sarcoma Can’t Be Detected Prior to Morcellation Surgery
A new study appears to confirm that there is no way for doctors to diagnose uterine sarcoma prior to surgery with power morcellation.
According to the findings of a new study, there is no way for doctors to detect uterine sarcoma before a woman undergoes a laparoscopic hysterectomy or uterine fibroid surgery with morcellation, in which a surgical device is used to cut up the uterus or fibroids and remove them through a small incision in the abdomen. Unfortunately, for women with undetected sarcoma or uterine cancer, power morcellation may cause the cancerous tissue to be spread throughout the body, drastically upstaging the cancer and reducing the chances of survival. If you underwent laparoscopic surgery with power morcellation, and you have since been diagnosed with uterine cancer, contact an experienced product liability lawyer today to explore your possible compensation options.
Power Morcellation May Spread Uterine Cancer
In a report published online by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology on December 11, researchers from Kaiser Permanente analyzed the potential risk factors that could be used to detect uterine cancer that may be hidden in fibroids before they are removed during a myomectomy procedure that requires the use of a power morcellator. The researchers conducted a retrospective review of 3,523 women who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy procedures between 2001 and 2012, and found that out of 941 cases where power morcellation was used, 10 resulted in a diagnosis of uterine sarcomas or parasitic myomas. These findings suggest that there is no way for doctors to tell before surgery with power morcellation which women may be at risk for the spread of cancer cells.
FDA Warnings Over Risk of Cancer from Morcellation
This new morcellation study was published less than one month after the FDA issued new labeling requirements for power morcellators, requiring all of the devices to carry a black box warning highlighting the risk of spreading uterine cancer. Up until now, power morcellators have been used in approximately 50,000 hysterectomy and myomectomy procedures every year, and the FDA estimates that about one in 350 of these women may have undetected sarcoma prior to the procedure. These findings have resulted in a call for the FDA to recall power morcellators completely, but the FDA announced last month that the surgical devices will remain on the market, but with a stronger side effect warning and new contraindications for certain groups of women.
Contact a Reputable Power Morcellator Lawyer Today
As serious concerns continue to be raised about the safety of power morcellation during hysterectomy and uterine fibroid removal surgeries, a growing number of women across the country are taking legal action against the manufacturers of power morcellators, pursuing compensation for their injuries and medical expenses. If you believe you have been adversely affected by side effects of power morcellation, our consumer advocates at the Leading Justice can help. We are committed to protecting the rights of consumers harmed by potentially dangerous medical devices, and can help put you in touch with a knowledgeable attorney who has experience handling power morcellation cancer claims.
[box type=”note” align=”aligncenter” ]Source: http://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378%2814%2902379-5/abstract?rss=yes[/box]