W&I doctor argues for laparascopic procedure

PROVIDENCE – This spring, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a statement discouraging the use of laparoscopic power breaking up and removal of the uterus or uterine fibroids, citing that the procedure poses risks of spreading undetected cancerous tissue. Since then, there has been much debate about the risks and benefits of using this technique.

An editorial by Dr. Charles Rardin, a urogynecologist in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and director of the Robotic Surgery Program for Women at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, in favor of the continued, careful use of the procedure was recently published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

“Few would argue that tissue morcellation of known cancerous tissue is a poor surgical strategy,” said Rardin. “But until there are more effective screening tools to detect unusual or undetected cancers, surgeons and hospitals need to develop appropriate responses that attempt to mitigate the risk of tissue spread during power morcellation procedures.”

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