Doctors across the country are calling to change standards for a common gynecological procedure, morcellation, which can spread dangerous types of uterine cancer. Many studies have confirmed this risk, forcing the medical community to reevaluate how and when the procedure is done. Medical malpractice lawyers at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm take a closer look at this procedure and who is most at risk.
Morcellation is a hysterectomy procedure that involves grinding the uterus so tissue can be more easily removed through small incisions. In women with cancerous or pre-cancerous uterine cells, however, the procedure breaks up the cancerous tissue and scatters them into the abdomen or other organs.
What makes the issue particularly dangerous is the inability to test for cancerous uterine cells before the surgery. These cancerous cells can also often appear non-cancerous or non-threatening in initial tests, so the risk is amplified.
Personal Tragedy leads to Public Change
Among the most vocal physicians fighting to curb the use of morcellation is a Harvard-affiliated cardiothoracic surgeon, whose wife suffered the serious consequences of the procedure. He has written dozens of letters to medical journals and media outlets saying that the surgery endangers women, referring to it as a major public health crisis. The surgeon’s wife, who is also a physician, underwent a morcellation procedure to treat what her medical team believed were benign (or non-cancerous) masses in her uterus.
The procedure went smoothly, however during follow-up testing showed that the “benign” cells actually contained a rare and extremely aggressive cancer known as uterine leiomysarcoma. The cancerous tissue was spread throughout her abdomen and lungs during the morcellation surgery, inflicting her with stage four cancer.
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She is now going through chemotherapy and additional surgeries to remove cancerous tissue, with the support of her husband and six children. She asserts that neither her gynecologist nor her surgeon informed her of the risk of cancer spread before she agreed to a morcellation procedure. At present, the hospital she underwent her procedure, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (where her husband also works), has imposed limits on morcellation procedures, including strengthening the informed consent process and adding restrictions for eligibility.
The couple is now criticizing doctors, hospitals, and medical society that they believe underplayed the risks of morcellation. The issue is quickly becoming a hot topic of debate in the field of gynecology, and many other physicians have joined in on the call to curb the procedure. Already, two esteemed medical journals have published critical articles on morcellation.
Very recently, on February 26, 2014, the FDA announced it would begin investigating information and data on morcellation procedures. FDA spokespeople stated that the agency is extremely concerned about the potential of cancer spread in at-risk women.
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Since the couple started campaigning against morcellation, many other wives and their spouses, have come forward to say they suffered similar devastating cancer spread from the surgery. They are calling the procedure flawed and are asking researchers to conduct analyses of morcellation studies and the rate of cancer spread.
Risk Factors Include…
Women most at risk of suffering devastating cancer spread form morcellation are those in older in age, never having been pregnant, obesity, hormone therapy for breast cancer, and other changes or imbalances in female hormone production. More information can be found here.
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Our team of medical malpractice attorneys is always trying to keep our clients and the public informed of dangerous procedures and their effects on patient health. If you or a loved one underwent a morcellation surgery and was consequently diagnosed with upstage cancer, contact our firm immediately. We provide free legal consultations to anyone seriously injured by a negligent medical practitioner. Our case reviews are free and confidential, and available to injured patients nationwide.
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