In the absence of a definitive FDA decision on the future of power morcellation in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, many surgeons have stopped offering the option, often in response to constraints placed by their institutions, or have greatly expanded the informed consent discussion.
In Part 1 of this two-part roundtable discussion, which appeared in the September 2014 issue of OBG Management, our expert panelists discussed their current approach to tissue extraction during hysterectomy and myomectomy, as well as their preferred approach to both procedures amid this changing surgical environment. Here, in Part 2, they discuss patient counseling and the likely effects of FDA action.
Given recent concerns about the use of power morcellation, how has your counseling of the patient changed?
Kimberly Kho, MD, MPH: Though I look forward to the development of instruments and techniques that will make contained power morcellation safer, I am not using it currently and have been able to find minimally invasive alternatives such as minilaparotomy and vaginal removal of masses for the cases I would have considered for power morcellation.
Certainly, with power morcellation or any type of morcellation, it’s important to discuss the risks and benefits, as well as alternatives. Discussion should include the potential for:
- iatrogenic injury and tissue seeding of both benign and malignant tissue
- exacerbation of any occult malignancy and possible worsening of prognosis
- missing or mischaracterizing an occult malignancy.
Although there is no surefire way to avoid cellular dissemination with any type of surgery, I think it’s equally important to explain that, often, the only way to completely avoid fragmenting a large mass is to remove it en bloc, which would mean a large laparotomy for many patients. Women should understand the risks of laparotomy as well, including more frequent wound complications, longer hospitalization, and slower recovery.
Arnold P. Advincula, MD: If a clinician anticipates or plans the use of power morcellation, he or she certainly needs to go through an informed consent process with the patient. This process may include a separate form specific to power morcellation as well as detailed documentation during the preoperative visit.
What elements of the preoperative visit do you believe are important to document?
Dr. Advincula: It is important to clearly document the indications and alternatives for the surgery, as well as the decision-making process that led to the selection of a particular procedure and route of access. If any type of morcellation (power-driven or not) is anticipated, then the risks associated with it must be thoroughly discussed and documented in addition to the standard risks associated with any type of abdominal-pelvic surgery. No surgical procedure is without risks. Therefore, the process of informed consent cannot be taken lightly and is a critical part of the process that allows a patient to decide upon a particular intervention.
Jason D. Wright, MD: I believe the current role of power morcellation is limited. Patients considering the procedure should be counseled about the risks of cancer as well as other adverse pathologic abnormalities, including smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential, disseminated leiomyomatosis, and endometrial hyperplasia that may be associated with an occult cancer.
Do you recommend a separate consent form for power morcellation, as Dr. Advincula suggested?
Dr. Wright: Given the risk of adverse pathology, I think the role of electric power morcellation is limited. Patients should be carefully counseled about alternative surgical approaches that avoid tissue disruption and understand that the sensitivity of preoperative testing and intraoperative evaluation of smooth muscle neoplasms is limited. Further, patients considering contained morcellation also should be informed that the data examining the efficacy of these techniques are sparse.
Linda D. Bradley, MD: As I mentioned in Part 1 of our discussion, I’m giving patients new information about our concerns regarding occult malignancy, quoting the risk estimates given by the FDA this year.1 And the fact that we no longer use power morcellation at the Cleveland Clinic means that I no longer discuss it as an option, although one or two patients have asked for it in recent months.
I think many patients have read about it in the news or, once hysterectomy or myomectomy was planned, found discussion of the controversy surrounding it during their research. I’ve even had patients who underwent hysteroscopic myomectomy 2 or more years ago contacting me to find out whether power morcellation was used, and I have had to explain that hysteroscopic morcellation is different from the laparoscopic variant.
Patients are critical readers and are much more knowledgeable as a result of social media, so I do find myself spending more time discussing their procedure with them.
