Morcellator Ban Has Doctors Needlessly Converting to Open GYN Surgeries

After a courageous fight with cancer, Brenda Leuzzi passed away at 44 due to a surgeon’s use of a power morcellator to remove her fibroids. The technique spread an undetected cancer by way of spinning blades which carelessly distributed the disease throughout her body. Brenda didn’t have to die, and The Center for Innovative Care (CIGC) explains the disadvantages of morcellation, while communicating a safe, minimally invasive surgical option that does not involve the use of electronic morcellation.

Uterine and fibroid morcellation has been relied upon by OBGYN surgeons for years as a way to remove the uterus or fibroids at surgery. However, non-morcellator minimally invasive surgical options exist, and are much better at preventing the spread of sarcomas and other uterine cancers.

Who is using morcelletion and why? Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries performed by OBGYNs who are not trained in advanced, innovative techniques require a morcellator as OBGYNs don’t have the skills or focused training to perform innovative laparoscopic techniques. 

Disadvantages of morcellation:

1. Unnecessary spread of cancer
2. For hysterectomy, the larger morcellator incision used by OBGYNs performing robotic or standard laparoscopy increases pain and recovery.
3. Morcellation takes longer, increases the length of the surgery and time under anesthesia.
4. Complications risks are higher and can be very severe with morcellation- cuts to the bowel, bladder, and large vessels of the pelvis leading to potentially life threatening complications.

The Center for Innovative GYN Care wants you to know that open surgical procedures should never be an option because a morcellator is not approved or available for an OBGYN to use. Non-morcellator procedures as performed by the surgical specialists at CIGC are very effective minimally invasive approaches that provide much faster recovery than OBGYN robotic or laparoscopic surgery.

1. The surgical specialists at the Center for Innovative GYN Care always practice non-morcellator techniques, and do not use morcellators for hysterectomy or myomectomy (uterine sparing fibroid removal).
2. For myomectomy, CIGC surgeons use a LAAM approach for removal of all fibroids using only two incisions. This does not require a morcellator, and requires fewer and smaller incisions
3. Open surgical procedures should never be an option because a morcellator is not available for an OBGYN to use. Non morcellator procedures as performed by the surgical specialists at CIGC are very effective minimally invasive approaches that provide much faster recovery than OBGYN robotic or laparoscopic surgery.

Patients need to get all the facts from their surgeon on how fibroids or the uterus will be removed.  Since morcellators have now been banned by many hospitals, the OBGYN performing surgery will often tell patients the surgery has to be done by an open approach. Nothing could be further from the truth.  As a patient, get all the facts and consider all your options.

The specialists at The Center for Innovative GYN Care are more than willing to discuss with you what those options are to provide you with the best alternative for your GYN surgery.

Get to know the Surgeons at The Center for Innovative GYN Care: Dr. Paul Mackoul, Dr. Natalya Danilyants and Dr. Britton Chahine.