The United States Food & Drug Administration has scheduled the meeting of an advisory panel for the purpose of reviewing uterine cancer risks related to the use of laparoscopic power morcellators. The agency’s Obstetrics and Gynecological Devices Panel will meet at the FDA White Oak Campus in Silver Springs, Maryland on July 10th and July 11th. The advisory committee is expected to make recommendations regarding use, premarket testing, labeling and reduction of risk for laparoscopic hysterectomy and myomectomy procedures using power morcellators.
In April of this year, the FDA issued an alert warning doctors about using laparoscopic power morcellators in hysterectomies and myomectomies because of the increased risk of spreading uterine cancers. The FDA estimated that 1 out of 350 women who have fibroids have an undiagnosed uterine cancer. There is no way to reliably screen for these cancers prior to the procedure. If power morcellation is used when a uterine cancer is present and the cancer is spread beyond the uterus, the woman is much less likely to survive long-term.
The number of lawsuits claiming that power morcellators caused uterine cancer to spread is increasing. Recently, lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, U.S. District Court, Western District of New York and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
If you or a family member were diagnosed with cervical cancer following laparoscopic surgery using a power morcellator, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Ohio Power Morcellator Injury attorneys at Clark, Perdue & List.