Johnson & Johnson, an international medical device manufacturer, issued a voluntary recall of power morcellator products yesterday. According to news sources, the devices may spread undetected cancer in patients. Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, halted distribution of the products three months ago.
According to a spokesman for the company, Johnson & Johnson issued the recall after a risk-benefit analysis revealed that the produce could increase the likelihood of advanced uterine cancer. He said, "Ethicon believes that a market withdrawal of Ethicon morcellation devices is the appropriate course of action at this time until further medical guidelines are established and/or new technologies are developed to mitigate the risk."
Some of the products produced by Ethicon that are recalled include:
- Gynecare Morcellex Tissue Morcellator
- Morcellex Sigma Tissue Morcellator System
- Gynecare X-Tract Tissue Morcellator
According to the findings, cancer cells found in the tissue of the body can develop cancerous tumors if they are spread to other areas of the body. These morecellators may not have been effective in removing cancerous tumors and cancerous cells may have spread.
If you or a loved one have used a morcellator device and have suffered cancer or another personal injury, the lawyers at
Jackson Allen & Williams, LLP can help you fight back. Find out more by calling us!
Morcellator Device Risks
Morcellators are used by doctors to preform hysterectomies. The product is preferred by some doctors because it is minimally invasive compared to other hysterectomy operations. The product lessens blood loss during surgery and reduces post-surgery recovery. However, some researchers believe that the Ethicon morcellators could spread undetected uterine cancer as well.
According to one news source, two incidents connecting morcellators and the spread of uterine cancer have been reported.
One news source reports that morcellators are used in approximately 100,000 medical operations every year. Some researchers believe that the devices are responsible for an estimated 250 instances of advanced cancer each year.
Jackson Allen & Williams, LLP Actively Investigating Morcellators Cases
At Jackson Allen & Williams, LLP, our legal team is beginning to investigate claims involving cancer risk and the Johnson & Johnson morcellator devices. If you or someone you love was diagnosed with advanced cancer after a hysterectomy surgery that used a morcellator device, contact our office today. We have more than 50 collective years of legal experience. Let our team of Dallas product defect lawyers put this knowledge to work for your case.