Power Morcellator News: Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes New Report Detailing Continued Use of Uterine Morcellation Despite FDA Warning
New York, New York (PRWEB) September 22, 2014 -- As concerns about the potential risks associated with the use of power morcellators (http://www.morcellatorlawsuit2015.com/) in gynecological surgeries mount, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes a new report detailing the continued use of uterine morcellation by some doctors, despite warnings from federal regulators that specifically discouraged these procedures. According to The Wall Street Journal, these physicians believe that the potential cancer risks associated with power morcellators are overblown, and that the government should not interfere with patient treatment. One gynecologist even reported that he still uses power morcellators on 80% of his hysterectomy patients.*
“As this report points out, a number of hospitals have stopped using uterine morcellation, while some insurers have ended coverage of the procedures because of concerns that they might upstage undiagnosed uterine cancers. Women who are considering these types of surgeries should be fully informed of their potential risks, as well as the fact that federal regulators have discouraged the use of power morcellators in uterine surgeries,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is now evaluating legal claims on behalf of women who may have experienced the spread of undiagnosed uterine sarcoma and other cancers due to uterine morcellation.
Power Morcellators and Cancer
Power morcellators are used in laparoscopic hysterectomies and fibroid removals to shred uterine tissue so that it can be easily removed through a small incision in the abdomen. In April, the FDA warned that use of the devices in these types of procedures could disseminate undetected cancer cells outside of the uterus, resulting in the upstaging of the disease and greatly reducing a patient's chance of long-term survival. According to the agency, roughly 1 in 350 women with fibroids has uterine sarcoma cells within that tissue.
Since the FDA issued that alert, a number of insurance companies have decided to stop covering gynecological surgeries that involve the use of a power morcellator. In August, Highmark, Inc., one of the nation’s largest Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance companies said it would stop paying for the surgeries as of September 1st. ** In Massachusetts, Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Harvard Pilgrim and Fallon Health have also limited their coverage of uterine morcellation.*** Most recently, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Capital BlueCross announced that it would end coverage of uterine morcellation effective November 1, 2014.****
According to The Wall Street Journal, hospitals that have ended or limited these procedures include Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital and Philadelphia's Temple University Hospital. Johnson & Johnson has also withdrawn three power morcellators manufactured by its Ethicon, Inc. unit.*
Women who allegedly experienced the spread of cancer due to uterine morcellation may be entitled to file a legal claim against the manufacturer of the device used in their surgery. To learn more about the process for filing a morcellator lawsuit, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLPs website, or call the Firm directly for a free, no-obligation case review at 800-511-5092.
*foxnews.com/health/2014/09/22/gynecologists-resist-fda-over-popular-surgical-tool/, The Wall Street Journal via Fox News, September 22, 2014
**in.reuters.com/article/2014/08/02/highmark-procedure-idINL2N0Q80IY20140802, Reuters, August 3, 2014
***telegram.com/article/20140809/NEWS/308099942/0, Worcester Telegram, August 9, 2014
****capbluecross.com/wps/wcm/connect/cbc-public/cbc/aboutus/press+room/news+releases/2014+news+releases/morcellatorcoveragediscontinued, Capital BlueCross, August 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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Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info(at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com
http://www.morcellatorlawsuit2015.com/
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Felecia L. Stern, Power Morcellator Lawsuit Center, http://www.morcellatorlawsuit2015.com/, +1 800-511-5092, [email protected]
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