A morcellator is a device used during surgeries to remove larger clusters of tissue from the body with ease. These devices are used to cut up the unwanted tissue so that they are in pieces that are smaller and therefore much easier for the surgeon to remove.
Historically, doctors had simply used a scalpel or similar tool to cut unwanted tissue, such as the uterus during a hysterectomy, into smaller, more manageable pieces. Eventually a manual morcellation device was developed, which would be inserted and then required the surgeon to squeeze the handle on the device manually. The first time an electric morcellator appeared in the United States was 1993, and until recent years, these devices have been fairly common.
Although originally designed for use on removing the uterus, the morcellator is now also found in surgeries involving the removal of other organs or sections of organs.
The morcellator was regularly used in hysterectomies as well as other surgical procedures in which an organ was removed until recently. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued a warning concerning the morcellator on April 17, 2014. This warning specifically cited the possibility of infection or spread of disease in cases in which the morcellator was used to remove fibroids, whether or not they are known to contain cancerous or otherwise dangerous tissue.
The morcellator has been linked to spreading disease, particularly cancerous material, during the process of removing an organ. There have been multiple cases in which a patient had a procedure to remove a seemingly benign fibroid or tissue cluster through morcellation and later developed cancer due to the presence of cancer within one of the fibroids. By breaking up the fibroids and tissue, the morcellator may effectively be spreading cancerous tissue throughout the body, speeding up the advancement of the disease.
Our team at McDivitt Law Firm feels that you deserve to be informed concerning your rights as a medical patient. We would like to make you aware of a potential claim that you or an acquaintance may be entitled to from use of a morcellator in a procedure.
We might be able to assist you if:
- You have experienced the spread of cancer or another disease due to a surgical procedure involving a morcellator.
- If your health has been affected by the morcellator or you know someone who has died because of treatment using a morcellator, please contact us and receive a confidential case evaluation.