A New Jersey morcellator cancer lawsuit may be an option for patients diagnosed with certain types of cancer after a power morcellator procedure. Laparoscopic morcellation is a common treatment option for women suffering from uterine fibroids. In some instances, these surgical devices can spread malignant tissue throughout the body, which leads to further health complications or even death. Affected women and their families may be eligible to file a New Jersey morcellator cancer lawsuit and pursue compensation for injuries related to these surgical devices.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for New Jersey. We offer free, confidential, no obligation consultations. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a case we can connect you with an affiliated Morcellator cancer lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
Understanding Uterine Fibroids
The Office on Women’s Health states that uterine fibroids are most prevalent in women aged 40 to 50, but can also occur due to factors like obesity, ethnicity and prior family experience. These usually benign growths are found on the wall of one’s uterus and can result in a number of serious side effects for some women. Side effects include:
- The need to urinate frequently
- Pain in the lower back
- Swelling within abdomen and pelvis
- Difficulty during menstruation
- Painful intercourse
- Infertility (although this complication is less common)
Fibroids range in size, and in some cases may form into one large tumor. Depending on the amount and size of fibroids present, the condition can potentially complicate pregnancy. Women with fibroids may undergo a difficult birthing process, and even require a cesarean section. Fibroid have also been linked to breeched births, premature delivery and a rupturing of the placenta from the uterine wall.
How Morcellation Works
While other treatment options are available, power morcellators have become an increasingly common procedure for patients with uterine fibroids. The American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists details the operation of these surgical devices, which work by utilizing blades to dissect affected tissues.
Morcellators are inserted into the body via a laparoscopic incision, thereby reducing the invasiveness of the procedure. Once inserted, morcellators can sever tissues in one of three ways. Some devices work to peel away tissue, while others divide the area affected by fibroids. Motor-coring is another option, which bores deep into tissue and removes it in cylindrical pieces.
Possible Risks and Complications
While power morcellators are deemed as safe by manufacturers, their use has been associated with potentially deadly side effects for many patients. Medpage Today reports on the possibility of power morcellators spreading undetected cancerous tissue throughout the body of patients. Because it can be difficult to determine the existence of cancerous tissue before the procedure, numerous women could be at risk.
Numerous women are afflicted by these so-called occult tumors, which has led some medical professionals to caution against the treatment. This is especially important when considering just how commonplace morcellation is, for both the treatment of uterine fibroids as well as many other procedures. Some also point to the larger problem of the lack of review of surgical devices once they are approved for use. Because it may take a period of time before complications become evident, ongoing review is the best method for determining rates of injury.
Morcellator Cancer Lawsuits Filed
In addition to the health care community’s issues regarding use of morcellation devices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also expressed concern. In a 2014 safety communication addressed to the medical community, the agency warns against using power morcellators in the treatment of uterine fibroids. The FDA also suggests that manufacturers of these devices undertake a thorough review to determine whether warning labels are necessary, in addition to encouraging health care professionals to consider alternate treatments. Approximately 1 in 350 women are afflicted with uterine cancer, and if these women undergo morcellation, the risk of spreading cancer to other areas of the body greatly increases.
The seriousness of these risks has been illustrated by a recent lawsuit, which was filed by the husband of a woman who succumbed to cancer after undergoing treatment with a power morcellator. The woman was afflicted with undetected cancerous cells, which spread during the morcellation procedure. This is just the first of many lawsuits being filed as a result of these devices.
How a New Jersey Morcellator Cancer Lawsuit Can Help
Medical device makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their products, 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.
People injured by defective medical devices may be eligible to recover money for:
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
The families of those who have died may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for New Jersey. You can fill out the form on this page or contact us by phone or email.
After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to 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 or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
