Texas Power Morcellator Lawyer – Texas Power Morcellator Lawsuit
If you or a loved one suffered certain side effects after a procedure using a power morcellator device you may be entitled to financial compensation from the manufacturer. Call us today to get the facts. Toll Free 1-866-777-2557 or use our online contact form and a Texas Uterine Cancer Lawyer will get back to you within 24 hours to answer your questions and discuss your possible claim. This is a free, no obligation case review and there are no legal fees unless you receive money at the end of the case. Time is limited, so please call today.
Cancer After Hysterectomy Lawsuit
Power Morcellator
A power morcellator is a tool used in procedures like hysterectomies and some liver and spleen surgeries. It has also been used in gallbladder surgery as well. Doctors use the device because it only requires a very small incision, making the procedure less invasive. Less invasive surgeries allow patients to heal faster and have fewer complications overall. However, the power morcellator has problems because of the way that it cuts tissues and removes it.
How a Laparoscopic Power Morcellator Works
A power morcellator is an electric device that has a long nose and small sharp “knives” at the end. It looks like a drill also but has a portion that resembles a tube. It cuts up larger pieces of tissue into smaller pieces that are easier to remove through a small incision. The incision involved in these types of procedures are usually less than 2 centimeters long.
Tissue that is cut up by the power morcellator is sometimes spread throughout other areas of the body because it is not all vacuumed up efficiently. The cutting and vacuuming do not occur at the same time, which makes getting all the cells that have been cut out of the body difficult. In procedures such as hysterectomies or fibroid removal, cancerous tissue or cells can spread to other parts of the body during power morcellator use.
Newer power morcellators are hysteroscopic, which means that they have tissue traps or collecting patches. This addition helps contain tissue and facilitate more effective removal. These devices are not electric like the laparoscopic power morcellator. So far, these devices have not been linked to an increase in cancer development.
Concerns Regarding Increased Risk of Cancer in Laparoscopic Morcellators
Other side effects associated with laparoscopic power morcellators may include:
- Bowel obstruction
- Pus or oozing at the incision site
- Access
- Organ damage
- Development of cancerous tumors
- Bruising
- Pelvic and abdominal pain
- Infection
Many women have cancerous cells in their body that are impossible to detect. Spreading these cells to other parts of the body can trigger cancer cell growth and result in uterine cancer. Women who have these cancerous cells are considered in Stage I and likely have no cancer symptoms.
FDA Warnings and Concerns
In November 2014, the FDA distributed a warning against using laparoscopic power morcellators in procedures to treat uterine fibroids. The FDA explained that avoiding using power morcellators would decrease the risk of spreading cancerous cells, even where doctors were not aware that cancer cells existed. This warning followed a previous warning in April of the same year that advised against using power morcellators in hysterectomies and fibroid removal.
Since the FDA issued these warnings, most doctors have decreased the use of power morcellators. However, some doctors still continue to use this device because it has not been officially recalled or otherwise prohibited.
Some doctors disagreed with the FDA warnings and associated studies and continue to use the laparoscopic power morcellator in a way that is not recommended by the FDA. If you are undergoing surgery that may use a power morcellator, speak with your doctor about whether he or she will use a laparoscopic power morcellator.