Shortly after filing a power morcellator lawsuit, a New York woman passed away from leiomyosarcoma.

The power morcellator lawsuit alleged that her cancer was spread by a power morcellator used to perform a hysterectomy.

A few days prior to her death, the plaintiff taped a testimony for her power morcellator lawsuit. The plaintiff died in September 2015 the age of 43.

According to morcellation lawsuit, the plaintiff was concerned about the possibility of developing cancer. She allegedly communicated these concerns with her surgeon yet despite this discussion, no one warned her about the potential cancer risks of using a power morcellator during a hysterectomy procedure.

The plaintiff underwent testing for uterine cancer prior to her surgery, but no indication of the disease was found. In October 2014, just under a year before her death, the plaintiff’s pathology report indicated that she had developed leiomyosarcoma.

After her diagnosis, the plaintiff immediately began undergoing aggressive chemotherapy procedures. Despite this treatment, the plaintiff’s leiomyosarcoma spread throughout her body quickly. The cancer spread to the right side of her abdomen, pelvis, and lungs.

The plaintiff filed her power morcellator lawsuit on July 22, 2015, just a short while before her death.

Power Morcellator Risks

The medical tool known as a power morcellator has been in use by surgeons across the U.S. since 1991, when it was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Power morcellation is a process by which unwanted tissue is cut and shredded within the body cavity in order that it may be removed in smaller, more manageable pieces.

However, reports of power morcellation complications associated with gynecological surgeries such as hysterectomies or myomectomies have been increasing in recent years.

During a hysterectomy or myomectomy, a power morcellator cuts up uterine fibroids for removal. If the uterus or uterine fibroids contain some form of uterine cancer, the power morcellator can actually spread cancer cells throughout the body.

According to the FDA, approximately 1 in 350 women who undergo these kinds of power morcellator procedures will have undetected uterine cancer that can spread to other parts of the body, taking root and become a potentially life-threatening cancer.

Power Morcellator Lawsuits

A growing number of power morcellator cancer lawsuits allege plaintiffs developed cancer after a surgery that involved power morcellation. These plaintiffs claim that had they been adequately warned about the potential dangers of power morcellation, they would not have agreed to the procedure.

The Morcellation Cancer Lawsuit is Case No.2:15-cv-05704-JLL-JAD in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.