Power Morcellator Controversy Grows, as Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes Another Call to Ban Uterine Morcellation
New York, New York (PRWEB) July 30, 2014 -- As the controversy surrounding the use of power morcellators (http://www.injurybeacon.com/power-morcellator/) in gynecological surgeries continues to grow, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes that another patient has added her voice to those calling for a ban on uterine morcellation. According to a report from CBS4 in Denver, Debra Valverde was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma following a hysterectomy that involved the use of a power morcellator. Within a year of her diagnosis, the aggressive cancer had progressed to Stage 4. Ms. Valverde, who suspects the disease was spread by the morcellator used in her surgery, told the station that she never would have consented to uterine morcellation had she known of its potential to spread undetected uterine cancers.*
“Ms. Valverde’s experience echoes what we have heard from other women who have contacted our Firm. Many of these women also claim that they were never fully informed of the risks associated with uterine morcellation,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is now evaluating potential legal claims on behalf of women who may have experienced the spread of undiagnosed cancers due to uterine morcellation.
Morcellator Cancer Risks
Power morcellators are used during laparoscopic hysterectomies and fibroid removals to cut tissue into small pieces so that it can be removed through an abdominal incision. In April, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert discouraging doctors from performing uterine morcellation due to the risk that the devices can spread undetected cancer cells into a woman’s peritoneal cavity. This can result in an upstaging of the cancer and greatly reducing a patient’s chances of long-term survival. At the time, the FDA estimated that 1 in 350 women with uterine fibroids actually have undetected uterine sarcoma cells within that tissue.
Earlier this month, the FDA’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel met for two-days to discuss the risks associated with uterine morcellation. According to a report from The Boston Globe, the panelists heard emotional testimony from cancer victims and their families, many of whom urged the FDA to ban power morcellators.**
On July 22nd, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that suggested the concerns surrounding uterine morcellation are well-founded. Among other things, the study found that as many as 1 in 368 women undergoing such procedures may have undiagnosed cancers present in their uterus. While women over 65 were more likely to have undetected cancer, the study found that 32 percent of the morcellation patients with undiagnosed disease were younger than 50.***
Women who allegedly experienced the upstaging of cancer due to uterine morcellation may be entitled to compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and more. To learn more about the risks associated with uterine morcellation, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP’s website. To obtain a free legal review, please call 800-511-5092.
*denver.cbslocal.com/2014/07/22/arvada-woman-believes-hysterectomy-procedure-spread-her-hidden-cancer/, CBS4, July 22, 2014
**bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2014/07/11/agreement-reached-whether-fda-should-ban-hysterectomy-cutting-tool/EkXZaFAUUnT5HZ7DBQvWbM/story.html, Boston Globe, July 11, 2014
***jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1890400, JAMA, July 22, 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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Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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Felecia L. Stern, InjuryBeacon.com, http://www.injurybeacon.com/, +1 800-511-5092, [email protected]
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