A congressman has called for the FDA to investigate several hospitals on grounds that they failed to report deaths believed to have been brought on by power morcellators. Mike Fitzpatrick, a Representative from Pennsylvania, has taken up the mission of constituents who were left widowed and now blame the device. The... Read more »

A new study on power morcellation was recently accepted for publication by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The researchers took a close look at the risks of power morcellation compared with the potential benefits of laparoscopic surgery over open surgery. They also hinted that a recently touted technique,... Read more »

Even as power morcellation lawsuits continue to be filed, consolidation of existing cases is under consideration. The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has scheduled a hearing session on October 1 to determine whether coordination of lawsuits involving similar allegations against power morcellator manufacturers would benefit those involved in... Read more »

Questions have been raised recently about the safety of power morcellators used during gynecologic surgeries, with some healthcare advocates calling for a complete ban on the medical devices because of the risk of spreading cancer during morcellation. Adding fuel to the fire, Congressman Michael Burgess, a Tea Party Republican from... Read more »

Litigation involving laparoscopic morcellators continues to grow in our nation’s federal courts. Plaintiffs allege that they were not sufficiently warned that the devices could spread undetected cancer cells during fibroid removal surgery and/or hysterectomy. The Wall Street Journal reports that the first power morcellator cancer settlement has been reached between... Read more »

A South Carolina man has filed a morcellator cancer lawsuit against Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc., on behalf of his deceased mother. Michael Watkins believes his mother, Enid Watkins died an untimely death as a result of a hysterectomy using morcellation. On May 5, 2011, Enid Watkins underwent a supracervical hysterectomy and... Read more »

UnitedHealth Group, the country’s largest health insurance provider recently issued new rules requiring doctors to obtain authorization prior to using a power morcellator to perform a hysterectomy, as morcellation has been linked to spreading cancer in some women. Starting in April, doctors will need to seek approval from the insurance... Read more »

A Michigan woman has filed a morcellator cancer lawsuit against a medical supply company. Denise Whitfield claims the use of a power morcellator sold by Karl Storz Endoscopy caused her to suffer serious injuries, including metastasized Stage 4 bone and breast cancer. “She must undergo extensive and difficult treatments for... Read more »

Researchers from Kaiser Permanente have confirmed there is no way for doctors to spot uterine sarcoma before performing a laparoscopic hysterectomy or myomectomy with morcellation. As a result, morcellation may spread cancer throughout the abdomen. On December 11, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published the report examining the... Read more »

Citing the link between power morcellation and the risk of spreading cancer, The Johns Hopkins University has adopted a new protocol regarding the use of the surgical tool in uterine surgery. Surgeons will not use the power morcellator tool at all during hysterectomy or myomectomy (surgery to remove uterine fibroids)... Read more »