Surgical Technique May Cause Abnormal Growths, Cancer

February 17, 2014 | Crandall & Pera Law
Surgical Technique May Cause Abnormal Growths, Cancer

Problems emerging during uterine surgeries undergone by over 50,000 women a year are increasing concerns among doctors regarding the safety of the procedure, according to recent studies in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

The procedure known as morcellation is used to either remove fibroid tumors from the uterus or to remove the entire uterus, cutting the tissue into pieces that can be pulled out through tiny incisions. The technique is part of minimally invasive surgery and used to shorten recovery time and reduce risks of blood loss, infection and other complications.

Morcellation can be performed by hand with a knife or with an electrical device with a rapidly spinning blade, the latter the cause of the most problems with the surgery. The technique can spray bits of uterine tissue or fibroids around inside the abdomen like seeds, sometimes causing pain, infection or bowel obstruction.

In a few cases, morcellation techniques have also injured abdominal organs and blood vessels and even spread hidden cancer cells through a patient's abdomen, causing advanced cancer.

About 498,000 women in the United States had hysterectomy operations to remove the uterus in 2010, about 11 percent of which involved morcellation, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

While Dr. Kimberly Kho, one of the study's authors, does not think the technique should be banned altogether, she does think doctors "...could be more prudent and conservative with whom we use these instruments on and more systematic about preoperative evaluation to prevent morcellating detectable cancers." Read the full article here:

Surgical Technique Is Linked to Abnormal Growths and Cancer

An important article for any women who is contemplating or has had removal of uterine fibroids. A power tool and common procedure which employs this tool can lead to severe complications and cancer as a result.

If you have been injured due to medical malpractice, including surgical errors, please call to investigate your matter fully. Crandall & Pera Law is available to help answer your questions and guide you in determining your next steps.