A woman died shortly after filing a lawsuit against the power morcellator procedure that allegedly spread undetected cancer throughout her body.

A 44-year-old woman named Brenda Leuzzi was suffering from uterine fibroids. The painful condition caused a severe and unusual amount of bleeding, which prompted her to agree to a power morcellation hysterectomy.

The controversial procedure came with side effects and unknowingly spread uterine cancer throughout Leuzzi’s body. She filed a lawsuit in May 2014 in an attempt to get compensation for her worsening medical status. In a tragic twist of fate, Leuzzi passed away five months later.

Power Morcellator Surgery Changed Her Life

Brenda Leuzzi, 44, died from stage four uterine cancer just two years after undergoing a hysterectomy with a power morcellator device.
Image: Change

When Leuzzi made the decision to undergo power morcellator surgery, she had no idea that it would change her life forever. In the lawsuit, she complained that she wasn’t adequately warned of the dangers associated with power morcellation.

The lawsuit came in conjunction with an announcement from the University of Rochester, the medical center that discovered the fibroids. Health representatives from the center decided they would no longer use power morcellation techniques due to the possibility of spreading undetected cancer.

“Specimens can be removed from the abdominal cavity using non-power morcellation or intact through larger incisions in the abdomen or vagina,” according to the University of Rochester Medical Center.

However, Leuzzi isn’t the only one who has been affected by power morcellation. The FDA estimates that 1 in every 350 women may have undetected cancer cells that can be triggered by the procedure.

A Family That Keeps Fighting

Leuzzi’s husband George fights for justice by continuing the lawsuit and urging the FDA to ban power morcellator devices.
Image: Beta News

Although Leuzzi was unable to finalize the fight for her own justice, her family did not give up. Her husband, a firefighter named George, updated the legal complaint to reflect the circumstances of her death.

“Now that she’s passed I will do my part to carry on what she started,” George Leuzzi said. “I will help as much as I can to get this removed.”

In an ongoing FDA investigation, the governmental body evaluated the dangers of the device and considered banning power morcellation surgeries altogether. The agency issued a warning but has not yet made the decision to stop the procedure.

“I’m very disappointed in the FDA. They should have banned this by now. They’re just stalling and finding some other way to convince themselves it’s OK,” George Leuzzi said.

Many women are still suffering from cancer that may have been caused by power morcellation devices. If you or a loved one developed cancer after having your uterine fibroids removed with a power morcellator, then you might be entitled to compensation.

Complete a free, no-obligation case evaluation now to see if you qualify.

The post Woman Dies After Power Morcellator Surgery Spreads Cancer appeared first on Citizens Report.

Alexis Benter

Uterine fibroids present a medical issue that no woman wants to face. Uterine fibroids symptoms can be quite annoying and result in a disrupted quality of life; however, the treatment options and recovery time from uterine fibroids is not bad. There are a few different surgical options for women suffering from fibroids including a hysterectomy, uterine fibroid embolization surgery, and a uterine fibroid endometrial ablation.

Uterine fibroids surgery cancer can sometimes occur if a woman has an undiagnosed form of uterine leiomyosarcoma and receives a uterine fibroids hysterectomy. This is rare, but the risk is still present. Always consult your doctor before undergoing surgery or the uterine fibroids surgery cost could be much higher in the long-run if undiagnosed cancer is present. This could result in a much longer recovery time or even death.

Different Procedures and Recovery Time

Uterine fibroids surgery recovery varies depending on which type of procedure is used. Uterine fibroids endometrial ablation is a relatively simple procedure that will allow patients to go home on the same day. Uterine fibroid embolization surgery typically takes between 1 to 3 hours, and patients can often return home following the surgery. The average time patients take to return to normal activities following the surgery is around 7 to 10 days.

A uterine fibroid hysterectomy often involves the removal of the entire uterus and the recovery time is longer. Patients should expect to stay in bed for a few weeks and spend most of their time resting. If you have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, look into all the possible treatment options and recovery times to determine the option that is best for you.

The post Uterine Fibroids: Recovery Time appeared first on Citizens Report.

Alexandria Clark

Over 50 percent of all hysterectomies, or the removal of the uterus, are caused by uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are a benign tumor found on the inside of a woman’s uterus. For the most part, fibroids cause little to no serious medical effects, although if they grow large enough some symptoms can become prevalent and result in the need to have the fibroids removed. Uterine fibroids treatment risks are common and can sometimes lead to worse symptoms and effects than the fibroids themselves. There are many uterine fibroid treatment options that are available for women suffering serious symptoms.

It is important to look into uterine fibroid treatment guidelines and seek medical care when certain symptoms start to develop. These symptoms can include heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic or abdominal pain, fever or night sweats, increasing abdominal girth, and concerns about pregnancy or the inability to become pregnant. Uterine fibroid treatment during pregnancy is different and it is important to consider if any other symptoms of fibroids are present before attempting pregnancy.

Uterine Fibroid Treatment During Pregnancy

Uterine fibroid treatment options depend on a few different factors. The age of a patient and how close a woman is to menopause is an important issue to consider. Women closer to menopause are more likely to have the fibroids naturally shrink due to a decreased amount of estrogen being produced and may not need surgery at all. Also the patient’s desire to have children should be considered. If a patient wants children, a hysterectomy would not be a viable option. Unless fibroids are causing serious symptoms, treatment is often not necessary or a form of uterine fibroid treatment without surgery can be used.

If the symptoms do persist and become a serious issue for a patient surgery may be required. The greatest uterine fibroid treatment risks come from performing a hysterectomy. The FDA estimates that 1 out of every 350 women have an unsuspected form of cancer known as uterine sarcoma. This cancer does not pose many risks. However, if a hysterectomy is performed on a woman with this cancer, the risk of the cancer spreading can be significantly heightened. The cancer can spread to both the abdomen and the pelvis and lead to large medical complications that would not have been present otherwise.

Uterine Fibroid Treatment Without Surgery

There are currently no uterine fibroid treatments without surgery. It is important to consult with your doctor if a a hysterectomy is suggested to determine if surgery is needed or if the fibroids may not be that serious. New approaches continue to be developed that could yield promising results.

Uterine artery embolization is a new approach that involves restricting the blood flow to the fibroids thus causing them to shrink and disappear. This option poses no risk of uterine sarcoma if it is present and also requires less invasive surgery.

A traditional hysterectomy would make it impossible for a woman to get pregnant whereas the uterine artery embolization would still allow pregnancy to be possible. Consider all possible uterine fibroid treatment options when undergoing uterine fibroid treatment because there are many uterine fibroid treatment risks that could result in serious medical complications.

A Risky New Fibroids Removal Surgery

Laparoscopic power morcellation is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a special medical device (a power morcellator) to shred uterine fibroids into very tiny pieces, which are then removed. The surgery, however, can be dangerous. Fibroids themselves are non-cancerous, but should the patient have undiagnosed cancer, such as uterine, cervical, ovarian, or abdominal, the procedure can spread the cancer around the abdomen, making it much more difficult to treat.

In its research the FDA found that nearly 1 in 350 women who had power morcellation treatment to remove fibroids developed uterine cancer.

Women who developed Uterine Cancer, Stomach Cancer or Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) after undergoing Fibroid Removal or a Hysterectomy may be eligible for legal compensation. Their lawsuits are against the power morcellator manufacturers for designing an instrument to be used in an unsafe manner.

Women who have had this cancer side effect are urged to consult with an attorney that has low fees and no risk. If you’ve been the victim, then Click here to receive your free case evaluation.

The post Uterine Fibroid Treatment Risks appeared first on Citizens Report.

Alexis Benter

An increasing number of lawsuits are being filed against the manufactures of a device used in a surgical technique known as power morcellation – a procedure to perform hysterectomies on women. The technique allows for an easier removal of a woman’s uterus than was ever previously possible. The device was introduced in 1993 and has become popular with doctors performing hysterectomies. The controversy over the procedure has only recently come to light following many morcellator lawsuits and many women are calling on the FDA to ban the devices.

The main risk involved in using power morcellation to remove the uterus is the spread of leimysarcoma cancer, a highly aggressive form of cancer found in the uterus. This form of cancer has been known to spread to both the abdomen and pelvis. Numerous deaths have been attributed to leimyosarcoma cancer. It is often not tested for prior to performing the surgery and can lie dormant without symptoms before the morcellation is performed. Many women have claimed that they were never informed of the great risk that comes with the use of a Gynecare Morcellator. Because of this, Morcellation hysterectomy cancer lawsuits are on the rise.

Morecellation leimyosarcoma recently killed a women in New York two years after a power morecellation procedure was performed. On January 26, 2015, Dr. Amy Reed published a massive critique detailing the severe failings of the FDA in limiting the use of the power morcellation. Dr. Reed was diagnosed with leimyosarcoma cancer after receiving a hysterectomy in 2013. She worries that many lobbyists have prevented morecellator cancer lawsuits from receiving the public attention they deserve.

“Because these women were harmed by ‘life-saving devices’; bearing a seal of FDA authorization – and because their cancers were spread by our own doctors using an unsafe practice that is claimed to ‘benefit the majority’ – our federal government and its agency stands lethargic and ambivalent, ” said Dr. Reed in an article from Philly.com. This is a scary prospect for many women who could be having power morcellation surgery without being informed of the serious risks of morcellation cancer the procedure poses.

A team of Canadian researchers also published a study that found that power morcellation poses dire health risks for women receiving hysterectomies. Morcellated cancer lawsuits will continue to rise if these risks are not addressed. The Canadian study found that many women with leimyosarcoma cancer do not show any symptoms before the morcellator surgery is done. This lack of symptoms leads many doctors to operate without the knowledge that cancer could be spread. The study found that around one percent of women undergoing the surgery had leimyosarcoma cancer. This is a small number, but it differs greatly from the FDA’s current estimate. A large amount of these women later went on to file a leimyosarcoma lawsuit.

In November 2014, the FDA announced it would require doctors to give patients a warning about the use of power morcellators. They also issued a safety alert for women that may be undergoing power morcellator surgery. The number of morcellator cancer lawsuits continues to grow. Hopefully the FDA’s attempts and studies will reduce the number of cases of leimyosarcoma cancer and save lives. Many fear the FDA’s actions are not enough.

Women Who’ve Suffered Power Morcellation Cancer Side Effects

Women who developed Uterine Cancer, Stomach Cancer or Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) after undergoing Fibroid Removal or a Hysterectomy may be eligible for legal compensation. Their lawsuits are against the power morcellator manufacturers for designing an instrument to be used in an unsafe manner.

Women who have had this cancer side effect are urged to consult with an attorney that has low fees and no risk. If you’ve been the victim, then Click here to receive your free case evaluation.

The post Morcellator Cancer Lawsuit Spreads appeared first on Citizens Report.

“Tumor” is a word that a patient never wants to hear come from their doctor’s mouth. But what is a fibroid tumor? The idea may sound a bit frightening. But fear not, because a fibroid tumor is much less terrifying than one would think. In fact, the tumor itself is less dangerous than the procedures used to treat it.

A fibroid tumor is a group of fibrous muscle tissue that comes together to form a knot, or an area of density, inside a woman’s uterus. Fibroid tumors often affect women between the ages of 30 and 40. There are few symptoms associated with fibroid tumors, and for the most part, they leave patients with little adverse effect. The only real symptom that has been associated with fibroid tumors is heavy menstrual periods and increased bleeding.

“There is virtually no threat of malignancy—and there are a number of excellent treatment options, as well as the option to do nothing at all—so there really is no reason to worry,” Steve Goldstein, MD, professor of gyncelogy and obstretics at NYU Medical Center, said in an article from WebMD.

DailyMail

Fibroid Removal Cancer

While few symptoms are associated with the condition, many surgeries are still being performed on patients with fibroid tumors, causing fibroid removal cancer. Many women are being led to believe that a hysterectomy or a laparoscopic fibroid surgery are the only fibroid tumor surgery options.

This is not the case.

Many of these surgeries are being done without the proper needs for surgery being met, highlighting the fibroid surgery risks. These women could live with the fibroid tumor and deal with little to no medical complications. Fibroid surgery cancer is one such risk associated with the surgery. The fibroid tumor surgery recovery time can also be quite lengthy and fibroid surgery cost can be enormously high. Fibroid surgery and pregnancy can also lead to adverse birth defects and complications during birth.

There are many options other than surgery for treating fibroid tumors. It is important to talk with your doctor and see if there may be other alternatives for treatment. When considering surgery, one must realize that the procedures used to treat the fibroids tumor could cause more adverse effects than the tumor itself.

Side Effect Victims

Women who developed Uterine Cancer, Stomach Cancer or Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) after undergoing Fibroid Removal or a Hysterectomy may be eligible for compensation. Friends of our’s are happy to help you. Don’t let your valuable legal rights expire – request a free case review by visiting:

Click here to receive your free case evaluation.

Featured photo courtesy of: Fibroid Natural Treatment

The post Fibroid Surgery Cancer and Tumors appeared first on Citizens Report.

Uterus Fibroids Surgery Side Effects

Although generally quite safe, uterus fibroids surgery side effects include excessive bleeding, pelvic pain, discomfort during sex, infection and abscess. Bleeding can persist for weeks or even months after an abdominal surgery such as a myomectomy – which removes the fibroids themselves – or even longer in the case of a hysterectomy – which removes the uterus entirely. A full recovery from a hysterectomy can take up to a year and can be accompanied by heavy bleeding. For premenopausal women who intend to have children, the most serious uterus fibroids surgery side effect is infertility. Loss of fertility can occur even after a successful myomectomy. Complications during a myomectomy, such as uncontrollable blood loss, can make a total hysterectomy necessary.

The risks and long recovery times associated with abdominal fibroid removal surgery led to the development of the less invasive laparoscopic technique, although this option is not suited for all women. Laparoscopic surgery removes fibroids using a long, thin tube called a laparoscope, inserted into the uterus either through small incisions in the abdomen or via the vagina. Not all uterus fibroids can be treated by laparoscopy; however, a hysterectomy may be necessary depending on the size and location of the fibroids.

Hormone therapy can shrink fibroids enough to make a myomectomy feasible and thereby preserve fertility.

Uterus Fibroids Surgery Cancer

The many uterus fibroid surgery side effects led to the development of new procedures that were billed as safer and faster. However, the FDA has sounded the alarm about the dangers of uterus fibroid surgery cancer posed by a new fibroid removal technique.

Laparoscopic power morcellation has the potential to unleash dormant cancer cells present in fibroids. According to an FDA study, about 1 in 350 women who undergo this fibroid surgery risk developing a leiomyosarcoma, which is a cancer of smooth muscle tissue that can spread throughout the body. Once spread, most leiomyosarcomas are inoperable and fatal.

It is clear that this type of fibroid surgery risks cancer. Some doctors and hospitals have already stopped using laparoscopic power morcellation, and patients who developed cancer as a uterus fibroid surgery side effect after undergoing this procedure are preparing lawsuits against the manufacturers of the devices used.

Side Effect Victims

Women who developed Uterine Cancer, Stomach Cancer or Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) after undergoing Fibroid Removal or a Hysterectomy may be eligible for compensation. Don’t let your valuable legal rights expire – request a free case review by visiting:

Click here to receive your free case evaluation.

The post Side Effects of Uterus Fibroids Surgery appeared first on Citizens Report.

Laparoscopy Cancer Side Effects

Laparoscopy is a medical procedure that removes unwanted tissue through a long, thin, flexible tube called a laparoscope with a fiber-optic camera at its end. Laparascopy is often touted as a faster, safer, less invasive alternative to abdominal surgery that involves large incisions, such as heart bypasses, hernias and kidney stones.

Although laparoscopy is less invasive and generally safer than abdominal surgery, it comes with its own risks and side effects. Potential complications include organ damage, electrode burns, blood clots, infection and even death. One of these dangers threatens women in particular.

Surgeons began using laparoscopy for the removal of uterine fibroids as an alternative to abdominal hysterectomy and myomectomy, which are both complicated procedures with long recovery times. Fibroids are uncontrolled growths on the uterine wall which can cause pelvic pain as well as heavy menstrual bleeding and miscarriage in premenopausal women.

Laparoscopy Cancer Lawsuit

The laparoscopy cancer side effect of fibroid removal, however, has only recently been made clear. The FDA released the results of a study in April 2014, which show that a technique called power morcellation risks a deadly laparoscopy cancer side effect. According to the FDA, about 1 in 350 women has an undiagnosed, benign uterine cancer that can be released into the body following laparoscopic power morcellation. The first laparoscopy cancer lawsuit was filed on behalf of a 53-year-old American women who died from uterine cancer less than a year after receiving laparoscopic power morcellation. Laparoscopy cancer side effects have impacted potentially tens of thousands of patients worldwide.

Now women all over the world are preparing mass tort laparoscopy cancer lawsuits against manufacturers who ignored the laparoscopy cancer side effects of devices called morcellators used in laparoscopic procedures to remove uterine fibroids. Johnson & Johnson has already recalled all of its morcellators and health authorities worldwide are investigating the cancer risk posed by these devices.

Side Effect Victims

Women who developed Uterine Cancer, Stomach Cancer or Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) after undergoing Fibroid Removal or a Hysterectomy may be eligible for compensation. Don’t let your valuable legal rights expire – request a free case review by visiting:

Click here to receive your free case evaluation.

The post Cancer Side Effect of Laparoscopy Surgery appeared first on Citizens Report.

Uterine Fibroid Treatment Side Effects

The serious uterine fibroid treatment side effects of hysterectomies and myomectomies slowly led physicians to develop “safer,” less invasive, non-surgical alternatives. However, patients have discovered the hard way that these alternative treatments may come with serious side effects of their own.

One type of uterine fibroid treatment risks a serious cancer called leiomyosarcoma.

Laparoscopic power morcellation is a new technique used to remove uterine fibroids. The procedure involves a long, thin device called a morcellator with a small rotary blade at the end, which “morcellates” the fibroids, tearing them into pieces.

Morcellation can release these dormant cancer cells into the uterus. These cells can then travel to other parts of the body, becoming malignant, inoperable and fatal. The FDA has found that 1 in 350 women who undergo laparoscopic power morcellation will develop leiomyosarcoma, a smooth tissue cancer that is present in some fibroids. The prevalence of this uterine fibroids treatment side effect is small, but significant enough for the FDA to issue a warning and for some hospitals and doctors to voluntarily stop using the procedure.

Uterine Fibroids Cancer Lawsuit

Medical trials are being conducted to gauge the safety of using morcellators equipped with small bags to contain potentially cancerous tissue; however, until they are proven to be safe, women should discuss the risks of laparoscopic power morcellation with their doctor. Patients are preparing a uterine fibroids cancer lawsuit against the manufacturers of the original devices, arguing that they ignored the potential dangers.

Side Effect Victims

Women who developed Uterine Cancer, Stomach Cancer or Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) after undergoing Fibroid Removal or a Hysterectomy may be eligible for compensation. Don’t let your valuable legal rights expire – request a free case review by visiting:

Click here to receive your free case evaluation.

Alternative Treatment Options

Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is another relatively new non-surgical alternative for fibroid removal. UFE cuts off the supply of oxygen to fibroids by blocking the blood vessels that lead to them using a very small arterial tube.

Post Embolization Syndrome (PES) is a commonly reported uterine fibroid treatment side effect, consisting of nausea, fever and vomiting for several days and even weeks after the procedure. PES results from toxins released by fibroids as they decay and can usually be treated with over-the-counter medications.

The post Risks and Side Effects of Uterine Fibroids Treatment appeared first on Citizens Report.

Hundreds of thousands of American women have undergone laparoscopic power morcellation myomectomy or hysterectomy to remove uterine fibroids. The vast majority were never informed of the serious risks involved in this procedure, which have only recently been revealed by the FDA. Specifically, the FDA has discovered that a heightened risk of developing an abdominal or uterine cancer is a laparoscopic power morcellation side effect.

Laparoscopic Power Morcellation Cancer

While it has many of the same side effects as other surgical procedures, the most serious laparoscopic power morcellation side effect is a significantly increased risk of cancer.

In a study of women who had undergone laparoscopic power morcellation, the FDA found that 1 in 350 patients had a preexisting, undetected uterine sarcoma. Morcellation releases benign cancerous cells into the uterus, which can then metastasize into a more aggressive form. There is no guaranteed method of detecting a uterine sarcoma beforehand: tests must be done on fibroid tissues after they are extracted via laparoscope, so women and their doctors have no way knowing whether the procedure will spread cancer cells.

A leiomyosarcoma is the most common type of laparoscopic power morcellation cancer; normally a benign smooth muscle tissue tumor present in a certain percentage of fibroids, when a leiomyosarcoma is morcellated and released it can become malignant and highly aggressive, spreading cancer throughout the abdomen and pelvis. The survival rate for a Stage IV leiomyosarcoma is 15%, among the very worst.

Johnson & Johnson has suspended its sales of power morcellators until the FDA issues a final determination on the safety of the procedure, and many other manufacturers of morcellators have followed suit. A few major hospital chains have preemptively banned the procedure in recognition of serious risks of laparoscopic power morcellation side effects.

Side Effect Victims

Women who developed Uterine Cancer, Stomach Cancer or Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) after undergoing Fibroid Removal or a Hysterectomy may be eligible for compensation. Don’t let your valuable legal rights expire – request a free case review by visiting:

Click here to receive your free case evaluation.

The post Laparoscopic Power Morcellation Side Effects appeared first on Citizens Report.

Fibroid Removal Surgery Side Effects

Uterine fibroid removal surgery presents a number of side effects and risk, as do all surgical procedures. A uterine fibroid removal surgery that has been surging in popularity lately is called laparoscopic uterine fibroid morcellation. Billed as a cheap, safe and easy way to remove uterine fibroids, many patients have no idea about the hidden dangers of this procedure.

Fibroid morcellation is a routine, minimally invasive surgery that offers an alternative to more complicated fibroid surgeries like hysterectomies. The procedure starts with a keyhole incision into the abdomen, followed by the insertion of a “morcellator” into the uterine cavity. The morcellator is a rotary blade device that shreds the fibroid tissue into fine pieces – morcellate means “to mince.” The cuts it makes into the uterine wall weakens the tissue and can complicate pregnancy, but that is hardly the only side effect of this fibroid surgery.

Uterine Fibroid Surgery Side Effects: Increased Cancer Risk

An undiagnosed uterine cancer may look like a fibroid, or there may be cancerous cells around the fibroid that gets shredded by the morcellator. According to studies by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about 1 in 350 women who undergo fibroid morcellation will develop cancer such as uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS). This happens when the morcellator shreds and spreads preexisting cancer cells around, allowing them to migrate and metastasize. This supposedly “safe” fibroid removal surgery poses a serious cancer risk.

Avoid Fibroid Surgery Side Effects: Diet, Weight Loss and Hormone Therapy

Although most women will develop fibroids within their lifetimes, there are ways to avoid the side effects and risks of fibroid removal surgery. Diet is an extremely important factor in the growth of uterine fibroids. Xenoestrogens are present in many processed foods and products and contribute significantly to uterine fibroids. Xenoestrogens are “foreign” estrogens that disrupt the body’s natural estrogens, creating the hormonal imbalance that leads to uterine fibroids. Interestingly, xenoestrogens are most commonly found in cosmetics, from sunscreens, toothpastes and soaps to hairsprays and shampoos. Xenoestrogens are found in most lipsticks, as well. Eschewing processed foods and cosmetics that contain xenoestrogens and other endocrine disruptors may over time help shrink fibroids. Losing excess weight also helps to restore hormonal balance and thus fight fibroids. If diet and exercise have no effect, hormone therapy may be considered, although it is usually an expensive and ongoing treatment.

Side Effect Victims

Women who developed Uterine Cancer, Stomach Cancer or Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) after undergoing Fibroid Removal or a Hysterectomy may be eligible for compensation. Don’t let your valuable legal rights expire – request a free case review by visiting:

Click here to receive your free case evaluation.

The post Cheap and Easy Fibroid Removal Surgery Has Some Serious Side Effects appeared first on Citizens Report.