Indianapolis medical device liability law firm Hovde Dassow + Deets is representing women who have received a cancer diagnosis after having a hysterectomy or other procedure involving the use of a laparoscopic power morcellator.
What is a morcellator?
Morcellation devices are used during a number of medical procedures, including hysterectomies and myomectomies, the surgical removal of fibroids or noncancerous growths in the uterus, as well as in laparoscopic spleen and renal surgeries. They have small blades that cut the uterus or fibroid tissues into small parts for easier removal.
FDA’s and Doctors’ Concerns About the Spread of Undetected Cancers
Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration discouraged the use of morcellators during gynecological surgery. The FDA was concerned that the devices may spread cancerous tissue during their use in these procedures. Specifically, the spinning action of the blades morcellators use to make incisions could spread undetected uterine cancer cells throughout a woman’s body which can lead to the seeding of cancerous tissue elsewhere.
In July, the FDA convened an advisory panel which concluded that morcellators indeed posed a serious health risk. That same month, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that as many as 1 in 368 women undergoing uterine morcellation may have undiagnosed cancers present in their uterus.
Morcellator Recalls and Lawsuits
Shortly thereafter, Johnson & Johnson, the pharmaceutical giant that manufactures the three most widely used morcellators, issued a worldwide recall, a step which followed the company’s April suspension of sales and distribution of the devices.
Hovde Dassow + Deets, the preeminent medical device liability law firm in Indianapolis, is meeting with and representing women who have been diagnosed with cancer after having undergoing a hysterectomy or other procedure that involved the use of a power morcellator. If you have received such a diagnosis, we can evaluate your case and explore your options, which may include a lawsuit to recover compensation.
Please contact Hovde Dassow + Deets partner and lead morcellator attorney Robert Dassow today at (317) 576-3241, initial, and confidential consultation to discuss your case.
This article has been prepared by Hovde Dassow + Deets for informational purposes only and does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. The information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to substitute for legal advice from an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.