J&J’s Ethicon Initiates Worldwide Withdrawal of Morcellators

Earlier this year, Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit suspended sales and distribution of its power morcellators. J&J is now calling for “a worldwide market withdrawal” of any Ethicon morcellation devices, and they are asking their customers-physicians and hospitals-to return any and all of these devices that have already been purchased. The company is issuing a credit for all devices returned before December 30, 2014. (

to see the letter.)

J&J’s decision comes after the FDA has recommended that the use of these devices be suspended until further review of the risk of these devices inadvertently spreading an unknown cancer in women with fibroids.

"Due to this continued uncertainty, Ethicon believes that a market withdrawal of Ethicon morcellation devices is the appropriate course of action at this time until further medical guidelines are established and/or new technologies are developed to mitigate the risk," the company said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters, as reported in this Huffington Post article.

How will this impact your practice, and what do you think about this recall?

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