Morcellator LawyerNovember 19, 2015 — The FDA and Johnson & Johnson say there were no reports of morcellators upstaging or disseminating cancer before December 2013, but a retired pathologist warned about the risk in 2006, according to The Cancer Letter.

Dr. Robert Lamparter, a retired pathologist who practiced medicine for 28 years, contacted J&J after a “near-miss” involving a woman who was scheduled to have a hysterectomy.

The operation started as a morcellation, but doctors were forced to switch to open surgery due to adhesions. When her uterus was removed, doctors found cancer.

Dr. Lamparter wrote a letter to J&J recommending stronger warnings:

“If this woman had had a morcellization, her tumor would have been seeded into the peritoneum. … In about 1/300 hysterectomies at our hospital, we discover an endometrial carcinoma that was unexpected at the time of surgery. … If a morcellation is done, the patient’s survival is jeopardized.”

His risk estimates were strikingly accurate. In November 2014, the FDA warned that 1 in 350 women undergoing a hysterectomy for fibroids has undiagnosed cancer, and warned against using morcellators in the “vast majority” of women.

Dr. Lamparter said because his complaint involved a “near-miss” instead of an actual injury, J&J did not file an adverse event report with the FDA or warn the gynecological community. Instead, they added a precaution in the instruction manual. Eight years later, the company suspended sales of all morcellators due to the risk of spreading cancer.

As awareness about the problem has grown, so have the number of adverse events. The FDA has now received dozens of reports of cancer upstaging or dissemination that occurred before December 2013. As of November 2015, 27 lawsuits filed by women who were injured have been centralized in federal court.

Need a Morcellator Cancer Lawyer in Texas?

Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.

Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”

The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our Texas morcellator cancer lawyers for a free lawsuit review.

Meet Your Attorney

Collen A. Clark

Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.

“Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”

To contact Collen, please fill out the contact form below:

Free Confidential Case Evaluation

Verified 100% Secure SiteTo contact us for a free review of your potential case, please fill out the form below or call us toll free 24 hrs/day by dialing: (866) 879-3040.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.