A Houston hospital paused its liver and kidney transplant programs after a doctor reportedly falsified liver transplant candidate data.
In a Thursday disclosure, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center said "inappropriate changes" to the information deactivated liver transplant candidates on the waiting list, prohibiting them from receiving organ donation offers, as reported by The Associated Press. However, the identity of the doctor was not revealed.
Errors in the donor acceptance criteria led to the suspension of the liver transplant program on April 3. An examination found errors in a donor organ matching database, but the hospital could not offer specifics.A review revealed that some patients were ineligible for transplantation because they were only accepted as donors with unreasonable age and weight requirements.
Despite liver transplant anomalies, liver and kidney transplant projects were suspended owing to shared leadership.
Deadly Outcome
Recent data suggests a disproportionate number of Memorial Hermann Hospital liver transplant patients have died, raising questions about patient outcomes. Last year, the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients reported 14 deaths or health declines on the hospital's waiting list. According to the study group, the death rate among transplant candidates at the institution exceeded expectations.
From January until last month, five patients died or became too ill for liver transplantation, while the hospital performed three transplants. The study is still underway, and it's unclear if waiting list changes affect liver transplant eligibility. The hospital focuses on more serious cases, according to a spokesperson.
A Houston doctor is accused of manipulating a national transplant database to make his patients ineligible for potentially life-saving donations, according to a report from @brianmrosenthal and @jbsgreenberg of @NYTimes
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) April 12, 2024
https://t.co/EdFfAX2nL1 pic.twitter.com/5wDVL6pomv
The United Network for Organ Sharing, the federal contractor coordinating organ transplants, has also begun an inquiry. According to the organization, patients on waiting lists do not receive organ offers during the program suspension, but they continue to collect waiting time, per CBS News. Patients might join several transplant waiting lists or move to another program, each with its own examination and admission criteria.
The hospital is contacting 38 patients on the liver program transplant list and 346 patients on the kidney transplant list to assist them and their families.
Consultant Surgeon Andrew Ready checks on his patients on the wards of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham on June 9, 2006, in Birmingham, England.
US Authorities Pledge to Resolve the Records Manipulation Case
Aside from Memorial Hermann, other facilities that offer organ transplant services are Houston Methodist, Baylor St. Luke's, and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is investigating the accusations and pledged to protect patient safety and provide equal organ transplant services in the statement, according to The New York Times. It promised to enforce and comply with the safety and integrity of organ procurement and transplantation systems.
Moreover, the HHS acknowledged the gravity of the accusations and emphasized the agency's commitment to resolving the matter as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
