Lawsuits Cause Public Concern Over Using Power Morcellators In Hysterectomies

December 17, 2015 – – Tracey & Fox reports on an issue of recent concern in the wake of many lawsuits which have been filed against power morcellator manufacturers alleging that when the tools are used during gynecological surgeries on uterine fibroids, they may expose and spread uterine cancer cells throughout the body.

Power morcellator tools are medical devices that are commonly used as a less-invasive method of performing hysterectomies and myomectomies. A laparoscopic power morcellator can be inserted through a woman’s abdomen via a small incision, where they shred and grind uterine or uterine fibroid tissue into small pieces so that it is able to be removed from the body. This procedure is sometimes selected due to the fact that it reduces the recovery time for patients.

A safety warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2014, however, indicated that women should refrain from undergoing laparoscopic power morcellation of uterine fibroids, due to the risk that, as the device shreds the tissue, it could uncover and spread previously undetected cancer cells. As part of this statement, the FDA noted that an estimated 1 out of every 350 women currently undergoing this procedure may have uterine sarcoma. These cancers are virtually impossible to detect prior to surgery.

Unfortunately, uterine sarcoma is highly malignant. It significantly impairs the life expectancy of those diagnosed and offer very few effective treatment options. Most women who are diagnosed with uterine cancers pass away in a short period of time after their diagnosis. Spreading these dangerous cells, however, can make the likelihood of survival for these patients even worse. What may have been a more treatable cancer if contained, can become accelerated, widespread, and upstaged.

In October of 2015, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated all federal power morcellator lawsuits against Ethicon, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. They are now grouped together in multidistrict litigation number 2652, and are being overseen by the Honorable Judge Kathryn H. Vratil. This consolidation should help to fast-track the litigation by avoiding duplicate discovery and different rulings from multiple judges. The cases which have been consolidated were filed against a single power morcellator manufacturer: Ethicon, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

As the involved plaintiffs await trial, the attorneys at Tracey & Fox are working to ensure that all women who have undergone power morcellation and who have subsequently been diagnosed with cancer will have the opportunity to explore their legal rights. These women and their families may be entitled to compensation. To help ensure that women can investigate their legal options, the attorneys at Tracey & Fox are offering free power morcellator consultations.

To ask questions or obtain additional information, contact 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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