Morcellator: Johnson & Johnson Recalls Device

Morcellator is a surgical instrument sold under the name of Gynecare Morcellex, Morcellex Sigma and Gynecare X-Tract, and which are used for division and removal of large masses of tissues during laparoscopic surgery.  Morcellators are also used in minimally invasive surgery to perform hysterectomies and in the removal of uterine fibroids.  Hysterectomies are the most common surgical procedure performed in women. The products have been on the market for more than a decade.

Johnson & Johnson, the largest Morcellator manufacturer, has just announced it has suspended global sales.  It has also issued a voluntary worldwide recall of the Morcellator because of the risk of spreading undetected cancer.  Johnson & Johnson said the suspension will affect all of its Morcellator products.

Johnson & Johnson executed a worldwide withdrawal of its device following a recent meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) which is weighing regulatory actions to reduce the risk of cancer spread during uterine fibroid removal procedures.

Johnson & Johnson is asking physicians to return a surgical device used in a hysterectomy procedure that the FDA has warned could spread cancerous tissue into a patient’s abdomen.

Searcy Denney’s dedicated Mass Tort Unit is investigating claims involving use of power morcellators.  If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer following use of a power morcellator in a surgical procedure (either a hysterectomy or a myomectomy) to remove uterine fibroids and subsequently developed cancer, please contact us for a free consultation regarding your legal rights.  The types of cancer most commonly associated with use of a power morcellator include uterine cancer or uterine sarcoma and cancers in the abdomen and pelvis.