February 4, 2015

Surgical Robots Increased Usage of Power Morcellators in Hysterectomies

The power morcellator is a medical device that many surgeons used to use regularly during robot-assisted hysterectomies. The morcellator removes the uterus through small incisions rather than through the vagina, which is the more common route for uterus removal. Then in April 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautioned that the power morcellator can actually spread cancer cells throughout the body.

In 2013, U.S. surgeons reportedly performed 191,000 robot-assisted hysterectomies with the da Vinci — the only robot the FDA has approved for gynecology — according to Intuitive Surgical Inc., da Vinci’s manufacturer.

Robotic surgery is similar to a manual laparoscopic procedure in that the surgeon makes small incisions that provide for the patient’s quicker recovery with fewer complications than traditional open surgery. With the large numbers of women who undergo the robotic hysterectomy every year, more patients have been treated through morcellation. In turn, the number of cases of disseminated cancer as a result of the power morcellator has risen.

According to Intuitive Surgical, women should speak with their doctors about the option of robot-assisted hysterectomies without morcellation. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, however, states that robot-assisted hysterectomies do not result in better outcomes for patients than other available minimally invasive procedures and urges that vaginal hysterectomies are the best choice.

Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel: Learn More about Filing a Morcellator Lawsuit

Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel enjoys a national reputation and a wealth of experience representing clients injured by dangerous products and unsafe medical devices, such as power morcellators. Based in Dallas, Texas, with offices in California and Maryland, Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel has participated in the representation of families from all fifty states and many foreign countries, as well as foreign governments.

We understand that injuries caused by power morcellators are personal and they’re sensitive. That’s why we’ve assembled a legal team, most of whom are women, to provide our morcellator clients with compassionate and aggressive representation throughout the entire course of litigation.

Contact Us

To learn more about Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel, or to have one of our attorneys review your potential morcellator case, contact us by email or call our morcellator lawyers, like Kyla Cole in our Texas office, at 800.226.9880.

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