Amanda Antell  |  September 22, 2016

Category: Legal News

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Team surgeon at work in operating room.Ever since the FDA announced the alleged correlation between power morcellation and cancer, the number of surgeons using the surgical tools has significantly dropped.

According to a recent study, doctors and surgeons have become very concerned over the risk of power morcellation and cancer, and have significantly decreased or completely ceased using the devices.

The study was conducted by lead researcher Dr. Jason Wright who is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.

Dr. Wright and his colleagues analyzed data from over 200,000 women who had undergone hysterectomies and found that the number of power morcellation procedures significantly dropped.

Compared to the rate of 14% of hysterectomies performed by power morcellation performed in 2013, the number fell to just 3% in 2015.

Dr. Wright stated that doctors and surgeons have become increasing wary of using this surgical tool due to the FDA’s recent warning regarding power morcellation and cancer.

The FDA released a warning in 2014 stating that power morcellation may unintentionally spread undiagnosed cancer cells throughout the abdominal cavity.

Spreading these cancer cells may cause the cancer to progress quickly and can become potentially fatal.

The new study was published in the August 2016 issue of JAMA, and was conducted to observe the hysterectomy surgical rates.

Overview of Power Morcellation Cancer

Even though the rate of power morcellation surgery has significantly decreased, supporters of the device maintain that these devices come with lower complication rates compared to traditional hysterectomies.

Compared to traditional hysterectomies, power morcellation makes the procedure minimally invasive and allows surgeons to quickly remove uterine fibroids.

The device is composed of a tube and two rotating blades. It is inserted through a small incision in the abdomen and cuts up the uterine fibroids into smaller bits for easy removal.

However by doing this, any women undergoing a power morcellation procedure is at risk for uterine cancer progressing at an aggressive rate.

This is because there is currently no diagnostic method available to determine if a woman has uterine cancer before undergoing the procedure.

The FDA estimates one in 350 women are at risk for power morcellation and cancer.

Ever since power morcellation was approved for surgical use in the 1990s, thousands of women have opted for these devices for their hysterectomies.

The main draw of these devices is its minimally invasive procedure method, and the short recovery time required.

Manufacturing companies allegedly knew the risk of power morcellation and cancer for years, but failed to notify patients or surgeons.

Numerous women have been diagnosed with aggressive uterine cancer leaving them to contend with the long term health complications.

Many of the doctors and surgeons allege they were not properly warned about power morcellation and cancer, and that many women would not have opted for the surgical tool.

Women who believe they developed power morcellation cancer may be eligible for legal action and should contact a specialized lawyer.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The morcellation cancer attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, morcellator cancer lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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Join a Free Morcellation Cancer Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one were diagnosed with cancer in the uterus, pelvis or abdomen within two years of undergoing surgery for a myomectomy (removal of fibroids), hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries), or salpingectomy (removal of fallopian tubes), you may have a legal claim. See if you qualify by filling out the short form below.

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