5 0
O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J U N E 2 0 1 4
T
he sweep-
ing nature
of the
recent
FDA advi-
sory recommending
that the use of morcel-
lators for hysterec-
tomies be discontinued
or severely restricted is
both surprising and dis-
appointing, to say the
least. To those of us
who are experienced in
laparoscopic minimally
invasive surgery —
those of us who've wit-
nessed its tremendous
benefits firsthand —
this feels like a rush to
judgment.
Morcellators — pow-
ered instruments that
G Y N E C O L O G Y
Are Morcellators Safe for
Hysterectomies?
BALANCING ACT The FDA says mor-
cellators can spread cancer in hys-
terectomy patients, but do the bene-
fits of minimally invasive hysterecto-
my outweigh the risks?
They speed the procedure, but do
they spread cancer, too? See what
this gynecologic surgeon has to say.
Jeffrey Thurston, MD
Dallas, Texas
OSE_1406_part2_Layout 1 6/13/14 11:40 AM Page 50
