As Morcellator Lawsuits Mount, Pennsylvania Hospital System Moves to Mitigate Cancer Risks Associated with Uterine Morcellation Procedures, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports

NEW YORK, July 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As morcellator lawsuits (http://www.gynecaremorcellatorlawsuit.com/) continue to mount in U.S. courts, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes that another hospital system is taking steps to mitigate risks associated with uterine morcellation in light of concerns that such procedures can promote the spread and upstaging of undetected cancers, including uterine sarcoma. According to a report published by The Pittsburgh Business Times on June 19^th, the Allegheny Health Network has announced that its doctors are now using containment bags in minimally-invasive gynecological surgeries that involve the use of a power morcellator. The new policy was implemented in May, shortly after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert discouraging doctors from performing uterine morcellation.

In addition to mandating that its physicians use containment bags with power morcellators, the Allegheny Health Network is also requiring doctors "to conduct a thorough discussion with patients considering morcellation, outlining the risks, benefits and alternatives to the procedure."

"Our Firm has heard from a number of women whose uterine cancers may have been upstaged by power morcellators. It is encouraging that more hospitals are taking steps to mitigate the risks associated with these types of surgeries," 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 uterine morcellation.

Morcellator Cancer Risks

Power morcellators are used during laparoscopic hysterectomies and fibroid removals to shred tissue in order to facilitate its removal through a small abdominal incision. On April 17^th, the 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. According to the agency, roughly 1 in 350 women with fibroids actually have undiagnosed uterine sarcoma. The FDA's Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel will meet on July 10th and 11th to make recommendations on ways to mitigate the risks associated with uterine morcellation.

Allegheny Health Network is not alone in taking steps to mitigate the danger associated with uterine morcellation. The UPMC health network also announced last month that it has drastically reduced the number of morcellator procedures performed at its facilities, and that doctors are now using containment bags in the surgeries that do occur. A number of other hospitals, including Brigham and Women's in Massachusetts, have suspended the use of power morcellators entirely.

In the wake of the FDA's alert, Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon, Inc. unit announced that it would suspend sales of three Ethicon, Inc. devices, the Gynecare Morcellex, Morcellex Sigma Tissue Morcellator System, and Gynecare X-Tract Tissue Morcellator products.

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 their device. 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 represents the victims of defective drugs and medical devices on a contingency-fee basis, and our clients are never expected to pay attorney fees unless their case results in a successful recovery on their behalf. New York State's contingency fee cap rules generally limit those fees to 33 1/3% of the total recovery. As a result, the Firm's fees can be significantly lower than those assessed by attorneys in other states, which depending on the law may amount to as much as 40% or more of a plaintiff's recovery.

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Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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