Months after the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) warned against using laparoscopic morcellators, a gynecological tool used to remove fibroids during hysterectomies, many doctors have continued to use the device. The FDA warned that the tool, used to slice uterine tissue into fragments for removal, may leave behind benign and undetected malignant cancers. In fact, the FDA has assed the risk of the device spreading cancer at 1 in 300 to 1 in 1000. of.
Gynecologists who have decided to continue using the morcellator argue that the FDA’s data has been exaggerated, and it is getting in the way of patient treatment. They believe the benefits of using the tool outweigh the risks, claiming patients who undergo a morcellator procedure have lower bleeding risks, less infection, and recover more quickly than those undergoing other minimally invasive procedures.
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Hofstra Bioethics 