While the Food and Drug Administration issued an April warning about the risk of spreading undetected cancer through morcellation, some physicians and practices continue to use the device, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
Johnson & Johnson pulled its laparoscopic power morcellator from the market, several major hospitals have discontinued morcellation and some insurers no longer cover the procedure; however, some gynecologists continue to use morcellators for fibroid removal.
Physicians who continue to use the technology do so because they believe the risk of spreading unknown cancer may be lower than the government's announcement suggests. One physician quoted in the Journal says he has patients sign an informed-consent document before the procedure detailing the risk of spreading undetected cancer. He also tells the patients verbally that he believes the risk is much lower.
The situation has remained ambiguous: While the FDA's advisory has caused some to take heed, the agency has not banned morcellators outright. Johnson & Johnson says it pulled the device because it was unsure the benefits of using it outweighed the risks. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (now the AAGL) both consider the morcellator to be an important tool in the field and have defended its use.
No organization is formally tracking morcellator use at the time, though it seems physicians are now disclosing risk information about morcellation more thoroughly than ever before, according to the report.
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Johnson & Johnson pulled its laparoscopic power morcellator from the market, several major hospitals have discontinued morcellation and some insurers no longer cover the procedure; however, some gynecologists continue to use morcellators for fibroid removal.
Physicians who continue to use the technology do so because they believe the risk of spreading unknown cancer may be lower than the government's announcement suggests. One physician quoted in the Journal says he has patients sign an informed-consent document before the procedure detailing the risk of spreading undetected cancer. He also tells the patients verbally that he believes the risk is much lower.
The situation has remained ambiguous: While the FDA's advisory has caused some to take heed, the agency has not banned morcellators outright. Johnson & Johnson says it pulled the device because it was unsure the benefits of using it outweighed the risks. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (now the AAGL) both consider the morcellator to be an important tool in the field and have defended its use.
No organization is formally tracking morcellator use at the time, though it seems physicians are now disclosing risk information about morcellation more thoroughly than ever before, according to the report.
More articles on accreditation & patient safety:
What really happened to Joan Rivers? 7 things to know
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