Healthcare company Johnson & Johnson has recalled its special surgery devices for the treatment of fibroids, fearing the spread of undetected cancer. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discouraged the use of their power morcellators used for hysterectomy surgeries, or the removal of the uterus, and myomectomy, the removal of uterine fibroids in April. The FDA has requested all doctors and hospitals to return the surgical device, which has been surrounded by controversy ever since its debut.
Now, Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit, which makes the controversial device, said that it is recalling the power morcellators from the market due to the unknown risks of using the device in hysterectomies and myomectomies.
Johnson & Johnson will decide how to proceed with the surgical device pending an update from the medical community.
The FDA said that out of the 350 women undergoing surgery using morcellators, one may have a type of cancer that can quickly spread beyond the uterus. The spread of diseased cells to other parts of the body could have a significant impact on a woman’s chances for survival.