Valleywide Legal Blog

Power Morcellators Continue To Be Used.

Here is a link to a story in today’s Wall Street Journal about the continued use of power morcellators.  I have been writing in this blog about power morcellators for 4 years now.  I have links here, here and here to … Read More

Posted in Cancer, Doctors, healthy living, hysterectomy, Power Morcellators, Surgical Errors |

Prostate Cancer News.

The New England Journal of Medicine just published the results of a 30 year study from Scandinavia of the effect of radical prostate surgery on the risk of death from prostate cancer.  The study sample was 695 men, all of … Read More

Posted in Cancer, Doctors, healthy living, Prostate Cancer, prostate cancer testing |

Power Morcellators Revisited

I have written in the past about power morcellators and the harm they have caused patients.  I have links here, here and here.  Despite their risks, power morcellators continue to be used by surgeons for minimally invasive gynecological surgery.  In … Read More

Posted in Cancer, Doctors, hysterectomy, Informed Consent, Medical Devices, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical research, Power Morcellators |

Medical Errors: A Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.

We like to tell ourselves that we value life.  When a tragedy occurs, we often search for solutions to try and prevent it from occurring again.  Highway safety is a good example.  Around 40,000 people die in highway accidents each … Read More

Posted in Autopsy, Cancer, disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, Secrecy, Surgical Errors, tort reform |

The Doctor Will Negotiate With You Now.

Not all prostate cancers are created equal.  Some are high-grade and life-threatening.  These tumors need to be addressed promptly and aggressively.  Many prostate cancer tumors, however, are slow growing and may never need to be actively treated.  For these low-grade … Read More

Posted in Cancer, Doctors, Health Care Costs, Medical Costs, medical ethics, Prostate Cancer, prostate cancer testing |

What Are We Paying For?

Researchers have developed a new tool for assessing the effectiveness of a health care system and we in the United States aren’t doing so well.  The concept is called “amenable mortality.”  It identifies medical conditions which cause death but which, … Read More

Posted in Cancer, Doctors, General Health, health, Health Care Costs, Heart Attacks, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Medical Costs, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, tort reform |

Medical Errors – Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.

Here is something to think about when the Republicans come to take away your right to sue for medical malpractice: Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States.  The only things more likely to kill … Read More

Posted in Cancer, Defensive Medicine, disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Lawsuits, Malpractice caps, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, Nurses, Secrecy, Surgical Errors, tort reform |

New Tool Lowers Risk of Reoperation in Breast Cancer Cases

When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she often faces a difficult choice.  Should she only have the tumor removed, in a procedure called a lumpectomy, or should she have the entire breast removed, in a procedure called a … Read More

Posted in Breast Cancer, Cancer, Doctors, Fee for Service, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Hospitals, Medical Costs, medical ethics |

Settlements For The Victims of Power Morcellators

I have written twice about the developing story of power morcellators.  You can find the links here and here.  The drama continues.  To refresh your recollection, the power morcellator is a tool used by gynecological surgeons mostly in laparoscopic myomectomies, … Read More

Posted in Cancer, Doctors, hysterectomy, Power Morcellators, Secrecy |

More on the Power Morcellator Story

I wrote recently about power morcellators and the risk that they spread previously undetected uterine cancer when used in laparoscopic procedures to remove uterine fibroids.  As I wrote then, the power morcellator is a tool which is inserted into the … Read More

Posted in Cancer, Hospitals, hysterectomy, Power Morcellators, robotic surgery, Secrecy |