The anesthesiologist and mother of six children had her uterus removed four years ago due to uterine fibroids. A post-surgery biopsy revealed Dr. Reed had an aggressive form of uterine cancer. Dr. Reed learned her surgeon had used a morcellator — a surgical device using spinning blades to slice up tissue — to remove her uterus. The morcellator scattered cancer cells all over her abdomen, leaving her with Stage 4 cancer, according to the report.
Dr. Reed spent the next four years battling cancer and fighting for stricter morcellation regulations with her husband, Hooman Noorchashm, MD. The couple wrote thousands of emails to the Food and Drug Administration, devicemakers, hospitals and legislators, among other stakeholders. They shared their own story with every news outlet they could and recruited other women whose cancer had spread from morcellation to join the cause, reports The New York Times.
Dr. Reed and Dr. Noorchashm’s efforts pushed the FDA to study morcellation. In 2014, the agency recommended against using the devices for a “vast majority” of uterine fibroid surgeries, according to the report. In additional, Johnson and Johnson pulled its morcellators off the market.
For the full New York Times article, click here.
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