On Wednesday, July 30th, Johnson & Johnson announced it was withdrawing a surgical tool that can spread cancer in women. This voluntary recall removed the devices made by the largest manufacturer of those devices from the market amid a contentious debate over its use.
The company planned to tell customers world-wide in a letter to return the devices known as laparoscopic power morcellators. J&J already suspended sales of new morcellators in April after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised doctors not to use the tool, which slices up common uterine masses called fibroids, and uteruses themselves, into fragments so they can be removed in minimally invasive surgery. In April, J&J defended the safety of the tool but said it was waiting for more guidance from the medical community.
