In April 2014, the FDA warned physicians and the public about the potential cancer risk when using power morcellators in uterine fibroid surgery. In July 2014, the administration convened an advisory panel to hear arguments for and against the use of power morcellators from scientists,…
Many women have suffered late-stage, aggressive cancers as a result of power morcellation, and now two senators want to do something about it. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, New York Democrats Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand recently wrote a letter to…
Like most women, 67-year-old Anita Austin had two choices as to how doctors would remove her problematic uterine fibroids. One was to go through traditional surgery, which would require a large abdominal incision. The other was to go through a laparoscopic procedure that used much…
In the midst of the debate about the safety of power morcellators in uterine fibroid surgery, some doctors and hospitals are choosing to take a stand even before the FDA takes any further action. According to Pittsburgh Business Times, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center…
The concern about power morcellators continues to grow. Morcellators are surgical tools that cut up large tissues for removal through small incisions. They have been used since the early 1990s in minimally invasive uterine fibroid and hysterectomy procedures. Recent studies, however, have indicated
Women who have trouble with uterine fibroids often need to have them surgically removed. New laparoscopic techniques have made it possible to perform the surgery through very small incisions, allowing for less blood loss, less scarring, and a faster recovery. This surgery requires the use…
Back in April, the FDA estimated about 1 in every 350 women going through hysterectomy or myomectomy for the treatment of uterine fibroids will have an unsuspected sarcoma—a type of uterine cancer that can reportedly be spread around the body if a power morcellator is…
A petition started by an anesthesiologist who, after undergoing fibroid surgery with morcellation was diagnosed with a dangerous Stage IV uterine cancer, has reached over 10,000 signatures on change.org. Dr. Amy Reed said she didn’t know she had cancerous tumors prior to surgery and was…
The message is getting out. Since the April 2014 safety communication by the FDA, which warned about the potential cancer risks when using power morcellators during uterine fibroid removal, more women have become aware of the issue.Women who are facing uterine fibroid surgery are talking to…
Back in April 2014, shortly after the FDA warned the use of power morcellators during uterine fibroid removal could increase risk of cancer, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), announced that it was suspending sales of these devices pending new information on potential safety concerns. Since then,…
One of the most common potential side effects of the anti-psychotic Risperdal (risperidone) is weight gain. According to a report by CNN, dramatic weight gain occurs in as many as 30 percent of patients who take drugs like Risperdal. The medications can also increase risk…
Earlier this year, studies published in JAMA and PLoS One raised concerns about the use of power morcellators in uterine fibroid removal and other gynecological surgeries. In some rare cases, when women have cancerous tissues in and around the uterus, the power morcellator can increase…
