Our latest update on our past blog posts on the dangers associated with using Morcellation as an option for hysterectomies: Johnson & Johnson has officially requested that all medical practices utilizing their morcellators no longer do so, and they're suspending sales on all of the devices. This comes after the FDA finding that the procedure does in fact pose a serious risk of spreading unknown cancer cells.
Just as a brief catch up, the whole issue came to light this past February when Amy Reed, a Boston doctor who had a laparoscopic hysterectomy to end bleeding from fibroids (benign growths on her uterus). She had tested negative for cancer before the procedure, but the form that was residing in her uterus was rare and didn’t appear on the tests. The morcellation spread the cancer throughout her body and she now has stage 4 cancer, with an 85% chance of death within the next 5 years. About 1 in every 400 surgeries have had a similar outcome.
Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it is conducting a worldwide withdrawal of all its morcellators still on the market. The company cited an FDA meeting earlier this month that reinforced "the complexity of this issue." The FDA itself is currently weighing regulatory actions to reduce the risk of cancer spread before ever condoning the use of the technique for similar procedures in the future.
LIFamilies
2014
2013
