Johnson & Johnson Recalls Uterine Surgery Tool

On Wednesday, Johnson & Johnson announced a recall for uterine surgery tools because they could increase the risk of undetected cancer.

The Ethicon unit for the company has reached out to hospitals, asking them to return the devices that are typically used in hysterectomies and uterine surgeries. Also known as morcellators, which are commonly used in laparoscopic operations to remove fibroids found in the uterus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised that doctors stop using the devices in April, due to the possibility of spreading cancerous tissues.

"The company has had a rather abysmal track record on the public health front of ethical breaches in the last few years, so this is good that they're doing this," said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research, via the New York Times, regarding the worldwide recall.

The company cited an FDA meeting earlier this month that reinforced "the complexity of this issue." They added that they are weighing regulatory actions to reduce the risk of cancer spread, according to USA Today.

However, some surgeons are not so happy about the recall as power morcellation is less invasive than other surgical alternatives and accounts for about 16 percent of uterine surgery procedures.

Furthermore, some speculation has risen that Johnson & Johnson may have promoted the recall to avoid lawsuits. The company denied this allegation at this time.