The link between a power morcellator and cancer diagnosis has raised concerns in the medical community about performing hysterectomies and myomectomies safely.

Power morcellator devices were initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1991.

Since then, power morcellation has become increasingly popular. This is in part due to the device’s minimally invasive methods.

Power morcellation is used to cut uterine tissue into smaller pieces that are easy to remove.

Unfortunately, reports suggest that patients who undergo power morcellation surgery may be placed at an increased risk of uterine cancer diagnosis.

This link between the use of a power morcellator and cancer are concerning to patients and medical professionals alike.

According to reports, cutting up uterine fibroids can cause undetected uterine cancer to spread throughout the body at an increased pace.

As a power morcellator cuts up uterine fibroids, some of these tiny pieces may also contain cancerous pieces that are then able to travel throughout the body, spreading cancer with them.

While there is no evidence that cancer is caused by power morcellation, the use of a power morcellator and cancer are linked.

Cancerous cells may be more rapidly spread in patients undergoing a hysterectomy or myomectomy surgery that have undetected uterine cancer.

In some cases, this can cause a patient to reach later and more dangerous stages of cancer, placing them at an increased risk.

Uterine cancer that develops more rapidly can become much more serious. Later stages of cancer are more difficult to treat.

The FDA released a safety alert about the use of a power morcellator and cancer in April 2014.

According to the statement, using power morcellation to remove uterine fibroids has the potential to increase the spread of undetected cancer cells, increasing the risk to a patient.

The FDA reports that around one in 350 women who go through power morcellation surgery have this dangerous, undetected uterine cancer.

Power morcellator devices are also linked with a few noncancerous side effects. The most common of these side effects are menstrual bleeding or pelvic pain.

Power Morcellation Lawsuits

Some of the women who have been diagnosed with uterine cancer after undergoing power morcellation during a surgery such as a hysterectomy or myomectomy note the link between a power morcellator and cancer, and claim that their cancer would not have been so serious had a one of these devices not been used.

Lawsuits linking the use of a power morcellator and cancer allege that the plaintiffs would have not have agreed to the procedure had they been aware of the risks.

Instead, the plaintiffs claim that they would have chosen an alternative surgical method and thus avoided the increased spread of their cancer.

Essentially, these lawsuits allege that the malignant uterine cancer tissue was spread and worsened because of power morcellation, ultimately worsening the patient’s chance of effective treatment and survival.

Power morcellator lawsuits claim that morcellator manufacturers either knew or should have known about the connection between using a power morcellator and cancer, and had a responsibility to inform the public and the medical community about this risk.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with cancer after a hysterectomy or myomectomy fibroid surgery using a power morcellator, you may be able to file a morcellation lawsuit linking the use of a power morcellator and cancer.