Bernstein Liebhard LLP

Power Morcellator Lawsuit Attorneys at Bernstein Liebhard Comment on Passage of Legislation to Improve Medical Device Monitoring

LogoThe controversy surrounding the use of power morcellators (http://www.morcellatorlawsuit2015.com) in gynecological surgeries was the inspiration behind a legislative effort to improve medical device monitoring, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. On July 10, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "21st Century Cures Act," which includes a provision that would require the make or model number of medical devices to be included in patients' medical records in order to improve the tracking of adverse outcomes. The amendment was one of several morcellator-inspired provisions proposed by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, (R., Pa.), who according to The Wall Street Journal, opened a larger discussion about the way medical devices are tracked. Rep. Fitzpatrick's remaining amendments, including one that would have required the Government Accountability Office to investigate current regulations for reporting medical device safety, did not make the final version of the bill.