Power Morcellator Lawsuits Alleging Device Spreads Uterine Cancer Approach 50 Cases

December 17, 2015 – – Tracey & Fox reports on power morcellator lawsuit numbers, which appear to include almost 50 cases both in Federal and State courts. Over 20 of these cases have been consolidated to form multidistrict litigation number 2652 in a move by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. This consolidation was approved in October of 2015 due to common allegations from each lawsuit against Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson division. The MDL is designed to streamline and expedite the litigation process, avoiding different rulings from multiple judges and duplicate discovery. It also helps to conserve the resources of those involved.

Plaintiffs involved in these suits allege that they were put at risk for serious health complications when undergoing laparoscopic power morcellation on uterine fibroids. The procedure has been noted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and several studies to potentially cause the spreading of previously undetected cancer cells. Plaintiffs who have filed suit have undergone the procedure only to be diagnosed with cancer post-surgery. The spreading of the cancer cells is suspected of accelerating and advancing the cancer to a point where it often becomes untreatable. Several plaintiffs have died since filing lawsuits, due to fatal leiomyosarcoma.

Power morcellators are made by multiple manufacturers, and provide a less-invasive option to open gynecological surgeries. They are shaped much like a drill, and can be inserted into a woman’s lower abdomen through a tiny incision. Once inside, during hysterectomies or myomectomies, they work by rapidly spinning blades which shred the troublesome tissue so that it can be removed from the body. As it shreds, however, it can uncover and then spread previously hidden cancer cells. In a safety statement last year, the FDA indicated that an estimated 1 in every 350 women who undergo these procedures may have uterine sarcomas which the device could spread.

Plaintiffs note that the spreading of these cells can upstage the cancer, and put them at a significantly greater risk of death from cancer that, if contained, may have been more treatable. Lawsuits against the device manufacturers indicated that many of the women involved have developed an especially serious form of cancer called leiomyosarcoma throughout their bodies.

Today, as lawsuits against power morcellator manufacturers continue to mount, even the U.S. Government Accountability Office has announced that it will be investigating the use and FDA approval processs of laparoscopic power morcellators. This decision comes after a letter from Congress requested their investigation and cited that “hundreds, if not thousands of women in America” had died because of the tool.

The attorneys at Tracey & Fox are working to ensure that everyone who has undergone laparoscopic power morcellation and who has subsequently been diagnosed with cancer is offered the opportunity to explore their legal rights. These women may be entitled to substantial compensation. Tracey & Fox is providing free legal consultations to involved individuals at this time.

To request further information on power morcellation lawsuits, or to ask questions, please contact the attorneys at Tracey & Fox by calling (713) 322-5375.

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Contact Tracey & Fox:

Sean Tracey
713-495-2333
440 Louisiana Street , Suite 1901
Houston, TX 77002

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