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Morcellation Media Monitoring 05/26/2016
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Southern Med Law Files Three Morcellator Cancer Lawsuits That Allege Spreading Of Uterine Cancer
May 24, 2016 | Southern Med Law
After fighting for women and their survivors in morcellator cancer lawsuits against Ethicon Inc., Southern Med Law continues its path by representing women nationwide. With the most recent being cases filed against morcellator maker Karl Storz Endoscopy-America (Storz). Morcellator cancer lawsuits filed by Southern Med Law, allege that power morcellator makers fail to adequately warn that their medical devices can disseminate and upstage cancer, including leiomyosarcoma, in women who undergo a minimally invasive hysterectomy or a myomectomy in which the device is used. -
Morcellation Cancer Risk
May 24, 2016 | Top Class Actions
By Amanda Antell
Patients and medical experts are becoming increasingly concerned about the problem of morcellation cancer, and how prevalent the risk may be.
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Southern Med Law Files Three Morcellator Cancer Lawsuits That Allege Spreading Of Uterine Cancer
May 24, 2016 | Southern Med Law
After fighting for women and their survivors in morcellator cancer lawsuits against Ethicon Inc., Southern Med Law continues its path by representing women nationwide. With the most recent being cases filed against morcellator maker Karl Storz Endoscopy-America (Storz). Morcellator cancer lawsuits filed by Southern Med Law, allege that power morcellator makers fail to adequately warn that their medical devices can disseminate and upstage cancer, including leiomyosarcoma, in women who undergo a minimally invasive hysterectomy or a myomectomy in which the device is used.
“We have the experience and unique knowledge on this subject, as being both a practicing OBGYN and Attorney and having filed and settled the first of many lawsuits against morcellator manufacturers,” says Southern Med Law’s co-founder, Dr. François Blaudeau, an attorney and a practicing obstetrician/ gynecologist.
Southern Med Law’s attorneys are involved in a complaint in which a New York woman underwent a hysterectomy in October 2013 in which a Storz Rotocut Morcellator was used. Shortly after surgery, the woman learned that the fibroid tumors removed with morcellation were leiomyosarcoma and the morcellator upstaged the cancer. The woman died weeks after surgery. Storz, Rochester General Hospital and the woman’s doctor are named as defendants. (Index No. 2016/3118, Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Monroe)
In another morcellator cancer lawsuit, a Michigan woman underwent a robot-assisted laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy surgery in July 15, 2013. A Storz morcellator was used during the procedure to shred the uterine tissue. The woman was diagnosed seven days after the surgery with endometrial stromal sarcoma cancer based on an analysis of her uterine tissue. (Case No. BC588075, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles).
Southern Med Law attorneys are involved in a morcellator cancer claim filed against a New Jersey surgeon who performed a da Vinci Robotic assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy on his patient, also a New Jersey resident, in April 23, 2013. During surgery, the surgeon discovered a very large tumor that could have been removed by performing a traditional open laparotomy hysterectomy, the complaint said. However, the defendant decided to morcellate the tumor but needed consent from the woman’s husband to perform morcellation as well as additional procedures “for which no informed consent had been given.” According to the complaint, the surgeon also did not mention the cancer risks associated with morcellation. The lawsuit maintains the morcellation technique disseminated cancer throughout the woman’s uterus and upstaged the cancer. The woman died in December 2013. (Case No. L318-15, Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean County)
Laparoscopic power morcellators slice up uterine fibroids so that the shredded tissue can be removed through small incisions in the abdomen. However, when undetected cancer cells are in the tissue, a power morcellator can spread the sarcoma through the abdomen and pelvis, according to the morcellator cancer complaints.
Earlier this year, Southern Med Law settled 10 morcellator cancer complaints filed against Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon Inc., once the largest manufacturer of power morcellators. Johnson & Johnson removed Ethicon’s morcellators from the global market after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration all but banned power morcellation in the majority of women undergoing a hysterectomy or myomectomy. Power morcellators are now under investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) due to the cancer risks tied with the medical devices. Some hospitals have stopped allowing the device to be used during surgery and some large health insurers are no longer paying for procedures that use power morcellators.
About Southern Med Law And Filing A Morcellator Cancer Lawsuit:
Southern Med Law is a full service law firm representing victims of negligence, personal injuries, medical malpractice, dangerous drugs, faulty medical devices and defective products. Led by Dr. François Blaudeau, an attorney and a practicing obstetrician/ gynecologist, and the legal staff at Southern Med Law possesses a deep understanding of the complex medical and legal questions at issue in all manner of power morcellators. They are not afraid to take on the manufacturers to make them accountable and enable all of their clients to have the aggressive legal representation they deserve.
Southern Med Law
François M. Blaudeau, MD JD FACHE FCLM Esquire
2224 1st Avenue North
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
Phone: 205-547-5525
Fax: 205-547-5526
francois@southernmedlaw.com
http://www.southernmedlaw.com -
May 24, 2016 | Top Class Actions
By Amanda Antell
Patients and medical experts are becoming increasingly concerned about the problem of morcellation cancer, and how prevalent the risk may be.
The number of women reporting uterine cancer after power morcellation procedures has been high since these products were first released to market.
The FDA has especially stated its concern regarding hysterectomy procedures using power morcellation, due to the power morcellator devices disturbing previously dormant malignant tumors.
Many women opt for power morcellation procedures due to how accurate the surgical instruments are, and the fact that morcellation procedures are minimally invasive.
A minimally invasive surgery may reduce the hospital recovery time, but some women are often diagnosed with uterine cancer soon after their procedures.
Reduced recovery time was a primary selling point to women who were looking for a hassle free surgical procedures. However, a number of these women had found themselves contending with morcellation cancer.
One of the most often mentioned uterine cancers reported is leiomyosarcoma, or uterine sarcoma, an aggressive variant of the cancer that quickly spreads beyond the surgical site. Due to the number of power morcellation cancer reports, the FDA issued a public safety announcement in April 2014.
The agency discouraged physicians from using power morcellation to remove uterine fibroids in women, to reduce their likelihood of having any dormant cancer cells spreading.
There is currently no diagnostic screening method available to determine if women have leiomyosarcoma before the power morcellation procedure.
The agency estimated that one out of every 350 women undergoing power morcellation for uterine fibroids has undiagnosed uterine cancer.
Overview of Power Morcellation Cance
Power morcellation devices consist of rotating blades, which are used to make small incisions in the abdomen and to cut up the uterine fibroids. Once the fibroids are cut up, they are then sucked through a small vacuum.
While this works well in removing the uterine fibroids, little bits of the fibroids spread through the abdomen and pelvis due to force of the propelling blades.
When these fibroid particles land on other tissues and organs, this allows for the potential rapid progression of cancer.
Uterine cancer itself occurs when the cells in the uterus to grow abnormally, but experts are unsure what exactly causes it.
However, experts have identified a number of risk factors that may increase the chances including: high estrogen levels, being over 40, obesity, and family history.
Experts state that women who are diagnosed with uterine cancer after power morcellation were most likely at Stage I of the disease due to the lack of symptoms.
After the procedure, Stage I can evolve into Stage IV very quickly due to the fibroid particles spreading throughout the abdomen and pelvis.
While experts are exploring different options in morcellation cancer prevention, experts have stated that a morcellation bag may significantly reduces the risk.
However this does not help the women who have already been affected by morcellation cancer and are contending with the diagnosis.
Patients or their loved ones may be eligible to file a power morcellation cancer lawsuit and should contact a specialized lawyer to determine if they have a claim.
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