Woman files medical negligence case against 3 organizations after organ transplantation failure

The patient's body got affected by cancer and she again underwent a surgery to remove fallopian tube and lymph node.

Organ transplant
Organ transplant operation Reuters

These days medical ignorance has become a common term for us. Even though there are many cases where doctors put all their efforts to bring some miracle, there are also cases like Alicia Medanin Khan, a Singapore national who came to India for liposuction surgery but died after the operation. This time a California woman has claimed that her implanted pancreas, gave her cancer.

According to the reports from Courthouse News, the victim sued two organ donor networks, including a hospital where the operation took place and a cancerous pancreas was implanted in her body.

The woman, identified as Jennifer Ravens, accused The University of California, San Francisco Hospital (UCSF), United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and Donor Network West (DNW) on the basis of negligence, strict liability and breach of warranty.

The court document of the complaint, which revealed those names, has stated that on June 4, 2016, DNW had received a kidney and pancreas transplant case. But on December 17, when the test results of the transplanted organs showed positive signs of cancer in the pancreas, doctors removed both.

Meanwhile, Ravens' body got affected by cancer and she again underwent a surgery to remove fallopian tube, lymph nodes (small, bean-shaped glands throughout the body), ovary and bowel.

After filing the case against three medical organizations, Ravens said that the defendants did not give attention before the transplantation process to ensure that both the organs are perfect.

According to Newsweek she also mentioned that those culprits "...negligently and carelessly failed to properly ensure that transplanted pancreas and kidney were properly and competently examined for condition and existing disease before they were provided and implanted into the plaintiff's body..."

On the other hand, the court document said, "She has been deprived of successful transplants, has had cancer introduced into her body, has increased diabetic symptoms, requires dialysis, and has lost her position on the transplant list."

Research suggests that compared to others organs, breast, colon, ovary and lungs can get affected by cancer from the donor. However, transplantations do not go wrong all the time. Recently, Charlie Douthwaite, who was born with a rare heart condition in the UK is getting back to normal life after a heart transplant.

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