An anesthesiologist and mother of 6 who underwent fibroid removal surgery and developed Stage 4 leiomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of uterine cancer, is raising the alarm over power morcellation safety.

Dr. Amy R., a surgical ICU doctor and anesthesiologist, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer known as leiomyosarcoma shortly after she underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy to remove uterine fibroids.

After discussing her options with her doctor, she opted for this form a surgery, where a power morcellator would be used, instead of an abdominal hysterectomy due to the quicker recovery time.

However, it was during this surgery that the power morcellator disseminated undetected uterine sarcoma throughout her abdominal cavity, leaving her with a virtual death sentence.

In October 2013, Dr. Amy underwent several aggressive and expensive procedures to stop the spread of the leiomyosarcoma including having her insides soaked with chemo, removal of her gallbladder, appendix, ovaries and various membranes that held her organs in place. After the procedure, she suffered a blood clot in her lungs and was hospitalized for eight days.

Since then, Dr. Amy has experienced two cancer recurrences and continues to get treatment and hope for the best.

Dr. Amy Reed and her husband, a cardiothoracic surgeon, are engaging in a public campaign to bring awareness of the the lack of power morcellation safety.

What is Power Morcellation?

Surgical techniques are not subject to the stringent FDA approval process that drugs go through and, as with drugs, problems with medical device procedures may not become apparent until after they have been used many hundreds or thousands of times.

Such is the case with a popular treatment for a very common medical condition, uterine fibroids. The technique, called power morcellation, has widespread appeal for both surgeons and patients.

Power morcellators are medical devices that remove noncancerous growths, typically fibroids, from the uterus. Surgeons use the devices when performing hysterectomies and certain kidney and spleen surgeries.

The devices, which are inserted through small incisions and remove tissue after cutting and shredding it, provide a popular alternative to traditional surgery.

Unfortunately, power morcellation safety has been under intense scrutiny. The devices can put women at increased risk for a number of deadly uterine cancers, including a rare and aggressive type of cancer called leiomyosarcoma.

The FDA issued a power morcellation safety alert in April 2014, discouraging the use of power morcellators in uterine fibroid removal procedures, as they may spread an undetected or unsuspected uterine sarcoma.

In this power morcellation safety alert, the FDA also noted there is no reliable method for accurately detecting uterine sarcoma prior to hysterectomy surgery.

The FDA has estimated that about one in 350 women undergoing a hysterectomy or fibroid removal surgery has an unsuspected type of cancer called uterine sarcoma.

As a result of these studies and an FDA Advisory, many power morcellation device manufacturers, such as Johnson & Johnson, have suspended sales of new power morcellators and many hospitals have banned the use of the devices.

Unfortunately, this all happened too late for thousands of women, like Dr. Amy, who now face an uncertain future.

If you or a loved one developed cancer or passed away after undergoing morcellation surgery, you may be eligible to file a power morcellator lawsuit or a wrongful death lawsuit against the device manufacturer.