Doctors often use power morcellators to remove the uterus and uterine fibroids during minimally invasive surgical procedures such as hysterectomies or myomectomies. However, lawsuits claim that these device spread cancerous tissue to other organs of the body during the removal process. Affected women and their families may be eligible to file a Mississippi morcellator cancer lawsuit and pursue compensation for complications associated with the use of a power morcellator.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Mississippi today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is a Power Morcellator and How Does It Work?
A laparoscopic power morcellators is an electric surgical tool used to cut or mince large pieces of uterine tissue into smaller pieces. The process is also known as morcellation. Doctors use the device in minimally invasive procedures such as laparoscopic hysterectomies and myomectomies to remove the uterus and uterine fibroids. Power morcellators allow doctors to make smaller incisions in the stomach muscles so that fibroids may be removed, often resulting in smaller incisions and quicker recoveries.
FDA Safety Communication and Power Morcellator Recall
In a safety communication released in April 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned physicians and healthcare providers to cease using power morcellators for the removal of uterine fibroids during hysterectomies and myomectomies. The FDA stated that approximately 1 in 350 women who undergo such procedures is found to have uterine sarcoma, a kind of uterine cancer. This number is much greater than originally estimated.
Healthcare providers and patients are strongly urged to seek other available treatment options for the removal uterine fibroids. In the report, the FDA noted a greater risk of the potential spread of cancerous tissue to other parts of the body in women with unsuspected uterine cancer. Additionally, the report recommended that physicians avoid using the devices and share information regarding certain risks with their patients.
In the wake of growing evidence linking power morcellation and cancer, Johnson & Johnson called for doctors worldwide to stop using the devices and return them due to the potential risk of the spreading undetected uterine cancer.
Power Morcellator Risks
When compared to traditional surgical procedures used to remove uterine fibroids, laparoscopic methods often have a smaller risk of infection and shorter recovery times. Although power morcellators have been used to treat fibroids for many years, power morcellation has been associated with an increased risk of spreading potentially cancerous tissue throughout the abdominal cavity and to other organs in the body.
Other serious risks associated with power morcellator surgical procedures include:
- In some cases, failed extraction of the targeted tissue
- Inadequate diagnosis of patient risk if a piece of the missed target tissue was cancerous
The disruption of large tissue could be spread to other organs in the body
Power Morcellator Cancer Risks and Investigation
If laparoscopic power morcellators are used to treat women with undiagnosed or undetected uterine cancer, there is a potential risk that the procedure will cause the cancerous tissue to spread within the abdomen and pelvis, significantly compounding the probability of the patient’s long-term survival, according to the FDA. Since there is not a reliable way to anticipate whether a woman with fibroids will have a uterine sarcoma, the FDA discourages the use of power morcellation during hysterectomies and myomectomies.
In May 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was conducting an investigation into what Johnson & Johnson, the maker of the devices, knew about possible dangers related to the use of power morcellators the possible spread of uterine cancer. Reports from the investigation included interviews with medical officials who were concerned about the use of the medical tools and the potential spreading of undetected cancers to other parts of the body.
How a Mississippi Morcellator Cancer Lawsuit Can Help
Medical device makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their devices, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a device maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
Patients who are injured by a power morcellator may be entitled to compensation for damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- The permanency of the injury
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of income or ability to work
If a patient dies from complications related to a defective power morcellator, family members may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of a loved one prior to death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from the loss of a loved one
- Funeral expenses
Patients who have suffered severe complications from a power morcellator, as well as the families of those who have died as a result of complications with the device, are encouraged to seek the advice of a Mississippi morcellator cancer lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer after a power morcellator procedure contact Attorney Group for Mississippi for more information. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at the number listed at the top of the page, or email us at info@attorneygroup.com.
When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information, and contact Attorney Group for Mississippi today.
