California Woman Says Morcellator Spread Cancer

In laparoscopic hysterectomies, a power morcellator is used to mince the uterus into smaller pieces in order to extract it from the abdomen. A California woman is suing the manufacturer of a power morcellator that was used during her laparoscopic hysterectomy. She alleged the use of the power morcellator spread cancerous tumors in her abdomen.

Leiomyoma (fibroid) of the uterus.

In her complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Lisa Nielson alleges that Gyrus ASCMI LP failed to warn her that the Gyrus Power Morcellator, which was used to remove tissue, could disseminate cancer throughout her body. Prior to this procedure, she was unaware that she had cancer.

The complaint alleges, “Plaintiff was never warned prior to her hysterectomy that there was any chance that the ‘fibroids’ could be cancerous, nor that using the Gyrus Power Morcellator increased the possibility of dissemination of cancer throughout the Plaintiff’s body.”

Ms. Nielson asserts that Gyrus knew or should have known the risk associated with the use of the power morcellator, but it continued to sell the device without disclosing the risks.