NASHVILLE, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- A hospital chain that operates 280 facilities in the United States and Britain has banned a device used in hysterectomies after the FDA said it may spread cancer.
The device, a power morcellator, will no longer be used at HCA Holdings Inc. hospitals, Jeff Prescott, a spokesman for the Nashville-based company said Monday.
The decision came on the same day the FDA warned the device could spread hidden cancer.
"We believe that in the vast majority of women, the procedure should not be performed," William Maisel, deputy director for science and chief scientist at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, told the Wall Street Journal.
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The device is used for minimally invasive procedures to remove fibroid growths and conduct hysterectomies. The FDA said that since fibroids are often difficult to distinguish from the cancerous uterine sarcoma, surgeons could unwittingly spread the cancerous cells during the procedure.
The device uses a fast-spinning blade to cut up uterine tissue before it can be removed, a process that could spread malignant cells.
About one in 350 fibroid removal procedures result in the discovery of cancerous cells.
The FDA first warned against the use of the power morcellator in April, but this week's warning uses stronger language.
"I think the wording is such that no sound practitioner would use it," said Dr. Amy Reed, a 41-year-old mother of six who said her cancer worsened after she underwent a hysterectomy using the device. "But there are still people who won't know who will be at the mercy of their physicians."
