Ohio hospital transplanted kidney into wrong patient

Article content

Two Ohio hospital employees have been put on leave after a patient received a kidney that was intended for someone else.

The patient who received the kidney is recovering and was compatible with the organ, but the patient who was supposed to get the kidney is still waiting for the life-saving transplant surgery.

University Hospitals released a statement on Monday acknowledging the mistake, reports Cleveland.com.

“We have offered our sincerest apologies to these patients and their families. We recognize they entrusted us with their care,” read the statement. “The situation is entirely inconsistent with our commitment to helping patients return to health and live life to the fullest.”

According their website, University Hospitals is “one of the nation’s leading health care systems, providing patient-centered care that meets the highest standards for quality and patient safety.”

The botched surgery happened on July 2, reported the New York Post, where the hospital issued another statement saying they are “dismayed” by the error.

The hospital is “carefully reviewing this situation to understand what led to the error and to ensure that such an event will never happen again.”

The two employees will remain on leave as the investigation continues.

Cleveland.com reported that the hospital system has performed 95 kidney transplants this year, based on information from the U.S. Department Health of Human Services Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

The hospital system performed 194 kidney transplants in 2020.