New research is adding to scrutiny of a surgical tool called the laparoscopic power morcellator that the FDA has warned against using in a vast majority of cases because of its potential to spread hidden cancer in common gynecological procedures.
Researchers at the University of Michigan’s health department had found that of women who had hysterectomies for uterine growths called fibroids, one in 368 had an undetected uterine sarcoma, which could be worsened with a morcellator if doctors use that technique.
A study posted by the Journal of the American Medical Association Oncology found that women who have only fibroids removed with a power morcellator face a lower risk of undetected cancers than hysterectomy patients. However, that risk also increases with other factors such as age. The morcellator is intended to remove fibroid growths can make cancers worse that go undetected before surgery.
The FDA hasn’t banned morcellators due to the fact that leaving open a narrow band for women for whom the tool’s benefits may still outweigh its risks. To read more about this article from the Wall Street Journal, please visit: http://www.wsj.com/articles/two-new-studies-add-to-scrutiny-of-gynecology-tool-1424364957
