UTMC resumes living-donor transplants after botched kidney procedure

[Clark]

http://www.northwestohio.com/news/story.aspx?id=853448

UTMC resumes living-donor transplants after botched kidney procedure
Angi Gonzalez

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"UTMC's deceased-donor transplant program has continued its operations continuously during the last several months and on Thursday we restarted our living-donor transplant operations. We look forward to continuing all deceased-donor and living-donor procedures in the months and years ahead," University spokesman Jon Strunk said.

In August 2012, the University of Toledo Medical Center voluntarily suspended its living-donor transplant program after a viable kidney was thrown away during a surgery.

Following the mishap, UTMC officials said that their procedures had been reviewed and they changed their procedures to make sure the mistake would never happen again. 

A part time nurse who was involved in the incident also resigned and two other UTMC employees were suspended with pay after the August 10 incident.

"With the increased attention the program has received in recent months we certainly understand why there is increased interest in our current living-donor transplantation efforts. The community and national confidence is high in this important program," Strunk added.

UTMC officials go on to say that potential patients should feel safe taking part in their living-donor program because "With greater than a 98 percent success rate resulting from more than 1,700 renal transplants,UTMC has had among the best outcomes in the nation for patients in need of transplantation."

Do you think UTMC should have been able to start living-donor transplants? Do you feel the changes they made voluntarily are enough to protect patients?