Fibroid Surgery Injury Lawsuit

The use of morcellators in fibroid surgery has been linked to an increased risk of spreading uterine cancer, including highly-aggressive leiomyosarcoma (LMS). The FDA now recommends against using this device in hysterectomies.

What You Can Do & How a Fibroid Surgery Injury Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting morcellator induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured by uterine cancer after fibroid surgery, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Morcellators and Fibroid Surgery

Laparoscopic power morcellators are electrical surgical tools that grind up tissue into tiny pieces that can be easily sucked out of the body through a small incision. Since morcellators were introduced in the 1990s, they have grown rapidly in popularity. They save time in the operating room because surgeons do not have to manually cut up tissues, as they would in traditional laparoscopic surgery.

Statistics

Every year, about 600,000 women undergo a hysterectomy, and between 177,000 to 366,000 of these procedures are used to treat uterine fibroids. Laparoscopic power morcellators are used in about 55,000 to 75,000 hysterectomies per year. Morcellators are also used in fibroid surgery (myomectomy).

What is the problem?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Safety Communication to warn against using morcellators in fibroid surgery in April 2014. The agency was concerned about reports of the devices spreading cancerous tissue within a woman’s pelvis and abdomen, which significantly worsen’s the patient’s chances of long-term survival:

“The FDA has determined that approximately 1 in 350 women who are undergoing hysterectomy or myomectomy for fibroids have an unsuspected type of uterine cancer called uterine sarcoma.”

What is a Uterine Fibroid?

Uterine fibroids, also known as myelomas, are non-cancerous (benign) tumors that grow in the smooth muscles lining the uterus. Most women develop fibroids at some point in their lives, but only a small percentage need fibroid surgery.

Symptoms

Not all fibroids cause symptoms. Many grow very slowly and never need treatment. For some women, however, fibroids grow very large (up to the size of a grapefruit) and cause side effects, such as:

Pain
Heavy bleeding
“Full” feeling in pelvis
Low abdomen swelling
Frequent urination
Pain during sex
Pain in the lower back
Pregnancy complications (recurrent miscarriages, early labor, etc.)
Reproductive problems (infertility)

Fibroid Surgery Information

Fibroid surgery (myomectomy) removes uterine fibroids but leaves the uterus intact. It is the preferred option for women who might wish to have children in the future, but new fibroids may develop and additional surgery may be necessary.

Hysterectomy is a surgery to remove the uterus and permanently prevent fibroids. It is the preferred treatment for women who do not want to have more children and after they have tried other treatments. It is also recommended when fibroids are very large, painful, or causing other medical problems.

Non-Surgical Fibroid Treatment

Medications
Hysteroscopy
Endometrial ablation
Uterine artery embolization
MRI-guided ultrasound surgery

Do I have a Fibroid Surgery Injury Lawsuit?

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