Power Morcellator News: Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes New Report Tying Popularity of Uterine Morcellation to Rise of Robotic Surgery

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Nov 24, 2014, 03:22 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --As the Firm continues to investigate power morcellator lawsuits (http://www.morcellatorlawsuit2015.com) on behalf of women who allegedly experienced the spread of uterine sarcomas and other cancers due to uterine morcellation, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes a new report which suggests that the availability of robotic surgery may have led to the increasing popularity of such procedures. According to The Wall Street Journal, at least 191,000 robotic hysterectomies were performed last year, of which approximately 10% involved the use of a power morcellator. At least one expert interviewed for the Journal's article surmised that the introduction of robotic hysterectomy led to greater use of power morcellators, and thus more reports of disseminated cancers.

"Our Firm has heard from numerous women who were diagnosed with advanced uterine cancers following a robotic hysterectomy that involved morcellation. Women considering robot surgery in combination with uterine morcellation should be informed of the risks associated with such procedures, as well as robotic alternatives that don't require a power morcellator," says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is now offering free morcellator lawsuit reviews to women who may have experienced the spread of undiagnosed uterine sarcoma and other cancers due to power morcellation.

Power Morcellators and Cancer

Power morcellators are used during laparoscopic hysterectomies and fibroid removals to shred tissue so that it can be removed through a small abdominal incision. On April 17th, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warned that power morcellators have the potential to spread undetected uterine cancer cells into a woman's peritoneal cavity, upstaging the cancer and greatly reducing the patient's chances for long-term survival. The agency noted that roughly 1 in 350 women with fibroids actually have undiagnosed uterine sarcoma.

According to The Wall Street Journal, many doctors who perform robotic hysterectomies have stopped using power morcellators since the FDA issued its alert in April. During robotic procedures, the uterus may also be removed via the vagina, which does not require morcellation.

In July, the FDA's Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel met for two days to discuss the risks associated with uterine morcellation, at which time many cancer survivors and their families asked the agency to ban the use of power morcellators. However, the FDA has indicated recently that it has no plans to do so at this time.

Following the FDA hearing, Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon, Inc. unit announced it would withdraw several power morcellators from the market. Numerous hospitals have also banned or placed strict limits on uterine morcellation, while a number of insurers have ended coverage for the procedures.

Alleged victims of uterine sarcomas and other cancers spread via a power morcellator may be eligible to file a morcellator lawsuit against the manufacturer of the device used in their surgery. To learn more about the risks potentially associated with uterine morcellation, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website. Free case reviews can also be obtained by calling (888) 340-4807.

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP

Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3 billion on behalf of our clients. The Firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the Plaintiffs' Hot List, recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country, for the past 12 consecutive years. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is the only firm in the country to be named to this prestigious list every year since it was first published in 2003.

Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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(888) 340-4807

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2014 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (888) 340-4807. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP