Power Morcellator Petition Gains More than 450 Signatures Since October, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports
New York, New York (PRWEB) November 22, 2014 -- A petition seeking a ban on the use of power morcellators (http://www.morcellatorlawsuit2015.com) in minimally-invasive hysterectomies and fibroid removal surgeries has gained more than 450 new signatures since the end of October, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. According to Change.org, 86,498 people had signed the petition as of November 21st, 2014. That represents an increase of 456 signatures since October 31st, when 86,042 supporters had signed on to the campaign.*
The campaign to ban uterine morcellation is being led by Dr. Hooman Noorchashm, whose wife, Dr. Amy Reed, was diagnosed with advanced-stage Leiomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of uterine cancer, after undergoing morcellation to remove uterine fibroids. According to a recent report from The Bucks County Courier, Dr. Reed’s physicians suspect that a power morcellator allowed undetected cancer cells present in her fibroids to spread into her abdominal cavity during the procedure, resulting in an upstaging of the disease.**
“Since Dr. Noorchashm launched his petition just over a year ago, the issue of power morcellators and cancer has received much-needed attention from federal regulators and the media. We commend him for shedding light on this important public health issue,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is providing free consultations to women who may have experienced the spread of undiagnosed cancers due to uterine morcellation.
Power Morcellators and Cancer
Power morcellators are used during minimally-invasive gynecological procedures to cut tissue into small pieces in order to facilitate its removal through a small abdominal incision. In April, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert discouraging doctors from using power morcellators due to their potential to disseminate undetected uterine cancer cells into the peritoneal cavity. This can result in an upstaging of the cancer and greatly reduce 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. According to the agency, screening for uterine cancers prior to surgery is difficult, and not always successful.
In July, 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 a number of cancer victims and their families, including Drs. Noorchashm and Reed, who urged the agency to ban power morcellators.*** However, the FDA recently responded to the Senators, and indicated that it had no plans to do so at this time.****
Women who were diagnosed with advanced uterine cancers following hysterectomies or fibroid removal surgeries that involved the use of a power morcellator may be entitled to compensation. To learn more about the risks associated with uterine morcellation, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website. To obtain a free consultation, please call 800-511-5092.
*change.org/p/women-s-health-alert-deadly-cancers-of-the-uterus-spread-by-gynecologists-stop-morcellating-the-uterus-in-minimally-invasive-and-robot-assisted-hysterectomy, Change.org, October 10, 2014
**buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/communities/newtown/lower-makefield-native-s-battle-with-cancer-fuels-benefit-run/article_04b45e36-f106-5a0e-aa63-48e9c7ad974f.html, Bucks County Courier Times, October 10, 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
****democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/10/09/power-morcellation-fibroid-gillibrand-schumer/16975935/, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, October 10, 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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Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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Felecia L. Stern, Power Morcellator Lawsuit Information, http://www.morcellatorlawsuit2015.com, +1 800-511-5092, [email protected]
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