Currently Johnson & Johnson is facing an investigation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding dangerous side effects of their power morcellator device. Their product and other power morcellator devices are used to perform thousands of hysterectomy procedures on women every year across the country.

However, Johnson & Johnson pulled their morcellator device from the market in 2014 after a number of patients were diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, or uterine cancer, soon after undergoing laparoscopic surgery using a power morcellator; some patients reportedly died from their conditions.

Recently, power morcellators have come under intense scrutiny for releasing undiagnosed cancer cells after the women and surgeons opted to use the devices for hysterectomy procedures. Surgeons would most commonly use power morcellators in uterine fibroid surgery in order to minimize what is normally an invasive procedure, usually requiring a reasonable period of hospitalization. Women and medical professionals have opted to use power morcellators in fibroid removal surgeries because these devices would ideally resolve these inconveniences.

Power morcellator devices are basically very accurate surgical tools that can enter the body via a tiny incision above the abdomen, where the device is inserted with tiny saw-blades that proceed to slice up the uterine fibroids. These uterine fibroids are then removed through the tube, and the patient can then start her much less intensive recovery process.

However, when it was discovered that the rotating blades on these devices unintentionally cut through uterine sarcoma areas and spread the cancerous cells, many women were soon after diagnosed with advanced stages of morcellation cancer.

It is important to note that there is currently no way to diagnose uterine sarcoma before the morcellator procedure, leaving the odds of spreading cancer cells basically up to chance for patients. Uterine cancer often progresses quickly, leaving very little treatment options upon diagnosis.

Power Morcellator Complications

Johnson & Johnson is one of several companies being accused of knowing about morcellator cancer risks and failing to take any action. The FBI is investigating to see if J&J actually did know about morcellator complications and for how long before it became public knowledge.

In 2014, the FDA issue strong public warnings regarding the risks of power morecellator devices, causing Johnson & Johnson to warn doctors to stop using their power morcellator devices. The company ultimately had to pull their power morcellator devices from the market.

While Johnson & Johnson pulled the device, the FBI is suspicious for how long the company was actually aware of the risk.

Doctor and Cancer Victim Speaks Out Against Morcellators

Despite all the cancer warnings surrounding power morcellators, a number of medical manufacturing companies still make them, putting numerous women at risk. One such victim has spoken out about her personal experience; she is petitioning to have the devices removed completely from the market.

Dr. Amy Reed was diagnosed with uterine cancer after it was discovered that the power morcellator had ruptured a uterine sarcoma during her surgery.

Dr. Reed is an anesthesiologist and mother of six who underwent a hysterectomy to remove uterine fibroids; she has since gone under several surgeries and radiation treatment due to her morcellation cancer diagnosis. She and her husband Dr. Hooman Norcasm are contending with her condition while fighting to completely remove power morcellators from the market.

The medical professional couple states that until recently, doctors did not even know to look for cancerous development prior to morcellator surgery. While there have been recent surgical innovations (such as ectopic surgical bags) to decrease the chances of uterine cancer, many doctors and patients still call for a total product ban.

Meanwhile, numerous injured patients and their families have filed legal action against these companies for failing to protect them against the dangers of their power morcellator products.