On April 17, 2014 the FDA cautioned that power morcellators, a type of surgical tool used in laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomies and fibroid removal procedures, may promote the spread of unsuspected uterine cancer. In response, Johnson & Johnson, the largest manufacturer of the devices, suspended worldwide sales of its laparoscopic power morcellators.
Laparoscopic power morcellation is one of several available treatments for fibroids. It is a procedure that uses a medical device to divide the uterine tissue into smaller pieces or fragments so it can be removed through a small incision in the abdomen. The FDA has determined that approximately 1 in 350 women who are undergoing hysterectomy or myomectomy for fibroids have an unsuspected type of uterine cancer called uterine sarcoma. If laparoscopic power morcellation is performed in these women, there is a risk that the procedure will spread the cancerous tissue within the abdomen and pelvis, significantly worsening the patient’s likelihood of long-term survival. The FDA is now urging doctors to avoid using power morcellators during uterine fibroid treatments.
Robins Kaplan LLP is interested in speaking with individuals who have undergone a power morcellation hysterectomy or fibroid removal procedure and were then diagnosed with uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, leiomyosarcoma, uterine sarcoma, or another cancer that has spread throughout the body.
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