--- title: Johnson & Johnson Urging Doctors Not to Use Hysterectomy Tool description: The device, studies show, can spread some forms of uterine cancer and lower chances of survival canonical: https://time.com/3061606/johnson-and-johnson-urging-doctors-to-steer-clear-of-hysterectomy-device/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-07-31T01:38:55.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T09:26:00.907Z article:section: Health og:title: Johnson & Johnson Urging Doctors Not to Use Hysterectomy Tool og:description: The device, studies show, can spread some forms of uterine cancer and lower chances of survival og:url: https://time.com/3061606/johnson-and-johnson-urging-doctors-to-steer-clear-of-hysterectomy-device/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltec193e634f10f057/69869df0e53abaa6b54d3d24/johnson1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: The Johnson & Johnson logo is arranged for a photograph in New York on April 15, 2013. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Johnson & Johnson Urging Doctors Not to Use Hysterectomy Tool twitter:description: The device, studies show, can spread some forms of uterine cancer and lower chances of survival twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltec193e634f10f057/69869df0e53abaa6b54d3d24/johnson1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Johnson & Johnson Urging Doctors to Steer Clear of Hysterectomy Device by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 31, 2014 1:38 AM UTC  The Johnson & Johnson logo is arranged for a photograph in New York on April 15, 2013 The Johnson & Johnson logo is arranged for a photograph in New York on April 15, 2013Bloomberg/Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 31, 2014 1:38 AM UTC Johnson & Johnson is urging surgeons not to use a surgical tool that has been found to spread certain forms of uterine cancer in women, the company [said](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/30/hysterectomy-laparoscopic-morcellator-worldwide-withdrawal/13384941/?utm%5Fsource=feedblitz&utm%5Fmedium=FeedBlitzRss&utm%5Fcampaign=usatoday-newstopstories) Wednesday_._ Sales of the company’s laparoscopic power morcellators, used during hysterectomies and fibroid-removal surgery, were halted in April because of a warning issued by the [Food and Drug Administration](http://www.obgynnews.com/single-view/johnson-johnson-halts-power-morcellator-sales-for-now/2caa672cefc24d81f83d3734a07f5bc3.html). The FDA told members of the medical community that the device could spread a form of uterine cancer called sarcoma in patients, lowering chances of survival. Two recent studies — from the FDA and researchers at [Columbia University](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/science/uterine-cancer-hysterectomy.html) — found that around 1 in 350 women has undetected cancer when being treated for fibroids; for women having hysterectomies, the risk is around 1 in 368. Because of this, Johnson & Johnson is now expanding its pullback of the device, urging those who have purchased the device to return it. The [_Wall Street Journal_](http://online.wsj.com/articles/johnson-johnson-to-call-for-voluntary-return-of-morcellators-1406754350) reports the company originally stood by the tool, but now says the risk of spreading the cancer is more significant than previously believed. Though sales of the device are only a small part of Johnson & Johnson’s business, according to the _Journal_, the company represents about 72% of the market for this particular device. \[[_WSJ_](http://online.wsj.com/articles/johnson-johnson-to-call-for-voluntary-return-of-morcellators-1406754350)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3061606/johnson-and-johnson-urging-doctors-to-steer-clear-of-hysterectomy-device/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3061606/johnson-and-johnson-urging-doctors-to-steer-clear-of-hysterectomy-device/"},"headline":"Johnson & Johnson Urging Doctors to Steer Clear of Hysterectomy Device","datePublished":"2014-07-31T01:38:55.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T09:26:00.907Z","description":"The device, studies show, can spread some forms of uterine cancer and lower chances of survival","url":"https://time.com/3061606/johnson-and-johnson-urging-doctors-to-steer-clear-of-hysterectomy-device/","keywords":["Cancer","Business topic","health","Companies"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltec193e634f10f057/69869df0e53abaa6b54d3d24/johnson1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltec193e634f10f057/69869df0e53abaa6b54d3d24/johnson1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The Johnson & Johnson logo is arranged for a photograph in New York on April 15, 2013.","caption":"The Johnson & Johnson logo is arranged for a photograph in New York on April 15, 2013.","creditText":"Bloomberg/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/cancer/","name":"Cancer"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3061606/johnson-and-johnson-urging-doctors-to-steer-clear-of-hysterectomy-device/","name":"Johnson & Johnson Urging Doctors to Steer Clear of Hysterectomy Device"}}]}] ```