Ohio patient receives kidney meant for someone else

CLEVELAND (WJW) — An organ transplant recipient at an Ohio hospital got a kidney that was intended for another patient, according to a statement released by Cleveland-based University Hospitals on Monday.

UH says the kidney is compatible and the patient is recovering as expected while the other patient’s transplant is delayed.

Two of the caregivers involved are on paid administrative leave as the hospital investigates the situation to understand what went wrong, according to UH.

The hospital says the mix-up is inconsistent with their commitment to helping people and wants to ensure it never happens again.

Here is the full statement from University Hospitals:

“The University Hospitals Transplant Program is comprised of a highly qualified, multidisciplinary team of experts with decades of transplant care delivery and research experience. We are dismayed that an error recently occurred resulting in one patient receiving a kidney intended for another. The kidney is compatible and the patient is recovering as expected. Another patient’s transplant surgery has been delayed.

We have notified the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the organization that manages the national organ transplant system. We are also carefully reviewing this situation to understand what led to the error and to ensure that such an event will never happen again. Two of our caregivers are on administrative leave pending the determinations of our investigation.

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