A significant number of women will at some point in their lives be diagnosed with uterine fibroids or may have to have a hysterectomy to resolve gynecological problems.

In the past, only traditional surgeries were available to women who needed to have their fibroids removed in a procedure called myomectomy or to have their uterus removed in a hysterectomy.

In recent years, however, laparoscopic surgery to perform either a hysterectomy or myomectomy have become available to patients and their surgeons.

But now these laparoscopic procedures using power morcellator devices have fallen by the wayside after some women experienced cancer after morcellation.

What Is a Power Morcellator?

A power morcellator is a medical device used to assist surgeons in laparoscopic surgeries, also known as minimally-invasive surgery.

In contrast to having a large 5 to 7 inch incision for a traditional surgery, with a two month recovery period, a laparoscopic surgery requires several quarter-inch to three-quarter inch incisions and much less.

Power morcellator device is inserted into the small incisions and its rotating blade breaks up uterine or fibroid tissue into small pieces that may be removed through the small surgical openings.

Healing is relatively quick in healthy women and they are able to return to their normal activities much quicker than if they had undergone a traditional surgery.

With the apparent benefits, it’s hard to imagine that it would opt for traditional surgery when a much easier, less invasive surgery with a shorter recovery time is offered. For these reasons, surgery using power morcellation devices became quite popular.

However, when more and more women became diagnosed with cancer after morcellation, the risks of these types of surgeries became more apparent.

How Does One Get Cancer after Morcellation?

Women face an increased risk of being diagnosed with cancer after morcellation surgery because the tissue that is broken up inside the body may have contained only latent and previously undetected cancer cells.

Left alone, these cancers are typically associated with a good prognosis and effective treatment procedures.

However, when this latent cancer is disturbed and spread throughout the uterine cavity using a power morcellator, the cancer cells can be positive in more locations and becomes much more aggressive.

When these cancers are diagnosed after a hysterectomy or fibroid removal procedure using a power morcellator, they are typically diagnosed at a later stage with a poor prognosis.

The FDA in 2014 determined that one in 350 women who have hysterectomy or myomectomy procedures using power morcellator devices will go on to receive a diagnosis of cancer after morcellation.

Because of this increased risk, power morcellator devices now a black box warning on their label due to it being one of the most potentially dangerous devices on the market.

Some manufacturers have pulled their morcellators from the market and many hospitals have banned their use. Additionally, many insurance companies no longer cover surgeries using power morcellator devices due to the increased risk of cancer after morcellation.

Filing a Lawsuit over a Diagnosis of Cancer after Morcellation

If you were diagnosed with cancer after morcellation surgery for a hysterectomy or fibroid removal, you may be entitled to legal compensation for your injury. A morcellation attorney can review your case at no charge to you and can help you decide on your legal options.