This study was published just days after U.S. health regulators warned that uterine morcellation should not be used in the majority of women who require hysterectomy or fibroid removal because of a potential to upstage undetected gynecological cancers.
New York, New York (PRWEB) January 05, 2015
A newly published study appears to confirm recent concerns that power morcellator (http://www.morcellatorlawsuit2015.com) procedures may potentially result in the spread of undetected gynecological cancers, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. The research, which was published online on December 11, 2014 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, looked at 941 patients who had undergone a hysterectomy via uterine morcellation. Pathological evaluation of morcellated tissue revealed uterine sarcoma in 3 patients immediately after surgery. An additional 3 patients had delayed diagnosis of sarcoma with benign disease at the time of the initial procedure. None of the six had exhibited any risk factors for uterine sarcoma prior to their hysterectomy.*
The authors of the study concluded that uterine sarcoma will be diagnosed in 0.6% of women who undergo hysterectomy via power morcellation. They recommended that women be informed of this potential risk prior to surgery.
“This study was published just days after U.S. health regulators warned that uterine morcellation should not be used in the majority of women who require hysterectomy or fibroid removal because of a potential to upstage undetected gynecological cancers. Our Firm is investigating claims on behalf of a number of women who allegedly experienced the spread of uterine sarcoma due to a power morcellator, and we certainly agree that patients should be informed of this possible complication if they are considering such a procedure,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is providing free legal consultations to women who were diagnosed with advanced uterine cancers following uterine morcellation.
Uterine Morcellation and Cancer
Power morcellators are used in minimally-invasive uterine surgeries to cut up tissue into small pieces so that it can be removed from the body via a small abdominal incision. In April, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) discouraged doctors from using the devices in minimally invasive hysterectomies and fibroid removals because of concerns that they could promote the spread of undetected uterine cancers. **
On November 24th, the FDA issued a second alert, and announced that it would ask power morcellator manufacturers to add a new black box warning to their labels regarding their potential to disseminate cancer cells. The agency also cautioned against using morcellators in women who are entering menopause, as well as those who have already been through menopause. Finally, the FDA advised against such procedures for women who are good candidates for intact removal of the uterus, either through the vagina or via a procedure known as a mini-laparotomy. These new contraindications would apply to the majority of women who require a hysterectomy or fibroid removal surgery, according to the FDA.
Women who allegedly experienced the spread of uterine sarcoma or other cancers due to a power morcellator may be able to take legal action against the manufacturer of the device. To learn more about the risks potentially associated with uterine morcellation, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website. To obtain a free legal review, please call 800-511-5092.
*ajog.org/article/S0002-9378%2814%2902379-5/abstract, AJOG, December 11, 2014
**fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm393576.htm, FDA, April 17, 2014
About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3 billion on behalf of our clients. The Firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the Plaintiffs’ Hot List, recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country, for the past 12 consecutive years. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is the only firm in the country to be named to this prestigious list every year since it was first published in 2003.
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