As the Firm Investigates Morcellator Lawsuits, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes Report That UPMC Has Drastically Reduced Uterine Morcellation Procedures

NEW YORK, June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Firm continues to investigate morcellator lawsuits (http://www.gynecaremorcellatorlawsuit.com/), Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes that the UPMC hospital network announced on Wednesday that it has drastically reduced the number of gynecological procedures performed at its facilities that involve the use of a power morcellator. According to a report from The Pittsburgh Tribune Review, UPMC decided to limit such procedures in April, after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warned that power morcellators could promote the spread of undiagnosed uterine sarcomas and other cancers outside of the uterus.  When uterine morcellation is performed at a UPMC hospital, doctors are using containment bags to reduce the risk that such cancers will be spread during the procedure.

"UPMC is just the most recent medical provider to announce that it had limited the use of power morcellators because of the cancer risk associated with these devices," says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is now offering free morcellator lawsuit reviews to women who may have experienced the spread of undiagnosed uterine sarcoma and other cancers due to uterine morcellation.

Morcellator Cancer Risks

Power morcellators are bladed surgical tools used to cut uterine tissue and fibroids so that the material can be removed via a small abdominal incision during laparoscopic hysterectomy and fibroid removal procedures. The FDA issued an alert discouraging such procedures on April 17th, after a review determined that the tools can promote the spread of undetected uterine cancer cells into the peritoneal cavity, an occurrence that can greatly reduce a woman's chances for long-term survival. According to the FDA, roughly 1 in 350 women with fibroids has undiagnosed uterine sarcoma cells in that tissue.

In the wake of the FDA's alert, Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon, Inc. unit announced that it would suspend sales of three Ethicon, Inc. devices, the Gynecare Morcellex, Morcellex Sigma Tissue Morcellator System, and Gynecare X-Tract Tissue Morcellator products. A number of hospitals, including Brigham and Women's in Massachusetts, have also suspended or limited the use of uterine morcellation in light of the FDA warning.

The FDA will convene a meeting of its Obstetrics and Gynecological Devices Panel beginning on July 10^th to further review the cancer risks associated with power morcellators. During the two-day proceeding, the Panel will be tasked with making recommendations regarding the appropriate use, premarket testing, labeling, and other risk mitigation for power morcellators used in laparoscopic hysterectomy and fibroid removal procedures.

Alleged victims of uterine sarcomas and other cancers spread via a power morcellator may be eligible to file a morcellator lawsuit against the manufacturer of their device. To learn more about the risks potentially associated with uterine morcellation, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website. Free case reviews can also be obtained by calling (888) 340-4807.

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP

Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3 billion on behalf of our clients. The Firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the Plaintiffs' Hot List, recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country, for the past 12 consecutive years. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is the only firm in the country to be named to this prestigious list every year since it was first published in 2003.

Bernstein Liebhard LLP represents the victims of defective drugs and medical devices on a contingency-fee basis, and our clients are never expected to pay attorney fees unless their case results in a successful recovery on their behalf. New York State's contingency fee cap rules generally limit those fees to 33 1/3% of the total recovery. As a result, the Firm's fees can be significantly lower than those assessed by attorneys in other states, which depending on the law may amount to as much as 40% or more of a plaintiff's recovery.

Bernstein Liebhard LLP
10 East 40th Street
New York, New York 10016
(888) 340-4807

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2014 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (888) 340-4807. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info (at) consumerinjurylawyers (dot) com
http://www.gynecaremorcellatorlawsuit.com/
https://plus.google.com/115936073311125306742?rel=author

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SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP

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