Mirena IUD Contributing To Rise In Hysterectomy Surgery
Given the increased use of IUDs as a form of long-term birth control, specifically the Mirena IUD, the number of hysterectomies being performed as a result of complications associated with the Mirena IUD are increasing at an alarming rate. As previously highlighted, serious complications related to the Mirena IUD include migration of the IUD within the body, perforation of the uterine wall by the IUD, and/or embedment of the IUD in other pelvic organs. Depending upon the severity of the migration, perforation, and/or embedment, a hysterectomy is often required to intervene, remove, and/or mitigate the injuries and damage caused by the IUD.
A hysterectomy is the second most common surgery in the United States, second to cesarean section1. There are three different types of hysterectomies:
1. Partial (aka subtotal or supracervical) removes just the uterus, leaving the ovaries, cervix, and fallopian tubes intact 2.
2. Total removes the uterus and the cervix1.
3. Radical removes the whole uterus, tissue on the sides of the uterus, cervix, and top part of the vagina3.
In all three procedures, the ovaries and fallopian tubes may or may not be removed, depending upon the medical necessity.
There are five types of methods1 used to perform a hysterectomy:
1. Abdominal hysterectomy – an incision in the abdomen to remove necessary reproductive organs.
2. Vaginal hysterectomy – an incision in the vagina to remove necessary reproductive organs.
3. Laparoscopic hysterectomy – four small incisions in the belly, one of which is used to insert a laparoscope (lighted tube and small camera) enabling the doctor to see the organs and cut the uterus into small pieces for remove through the other three cuts.
4. Laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy – an incision in the vagina, with removal of necessary reproductive organs assisted by laparoscope.
5. Robotic-assisted surgery – doctor uses a robot to make cuts in the belly and remove necessary reproductive organs.
Women typically require a hysterectomy when they have been diagnosed with cancer of the uterus, ovary(ies), cervix or endometrium; fibroids, which are non-cancerous, muscular tumors; endometriosis, which is development of the uterine lining outside the uterus4; prolapse of the uterus, which is collapse of the uterus into the vaginal canal5; adenomyosis, aka uterine thickening6; chronic pelvic pain; abnormal vaginal bleeding; and Intrauterine Device (IUD) complications.
Rebecca, a 29-year-old healthy woman, chose to use the Mirena IUD as her source of birth control. The device was originally placed in 2002, subsequently removed five years later, and another placed in 2007. After experiencing continued severe chronic pelvic pain after a laparoscopy connected to a ruptured ovarian cyst, Rebecca’s doctor recommended a hysterectomy. It was discovered that she had a severe infection and resulting scar tissue that were directly associated with the Mirena IUD7.
If you, your wife, or a loved one, has suffered physical complications that may be tied to the Mirena IUD, please contact Audet & Partners, LLP by calling us toll-free, at 800.965.1461, or visiting our website at http://www.MirenaComplaints.com. Please act now, since the law may limit your right to recovery if you delay.
SOURCES:
1 http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/hysterectomy.cfm#top
2 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM03929
3 http://women.webmd.com/guide/hysterectomy
4 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001513.htm
