CLINICAL RESEARCH. Sahlgrenska University Hospital has initiated an external investigation of its transplant operations. The investigation is conducted in order make sure that transplantation of the trachea and other organs has been done by the book.
Sahlgrenska University Hospital has asked the external investigator Bengt Gerdin, professor emeritus at the Uppsala University, to review a unit at the hospital’s transplant center. In focus for the investigations are transplantation of the trachea and blood vessels in the abdomen, from deceased donors, that have been conducted at the hospital. The method has a different approach than the one with the artificial trachea used in the infamous trachea transplantations at Karolinska University Hospital.
The recent debate about the medical use of new and innovative methods versus the risk this may pose to the patient also has affected the decision to investigate.
The decision to conduct an investigation was made by the the Sahlgrenska University Hospital’s management in January, in consensus with management at the University of Gothenburg. This according to Lars Grip, RD & E Director at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, who coordinates the assignment.
“We asked Bengt Gerdin in early February if he could bring forward the facts surrounding the assessment of performing certain surgical procedures and what consequences these have meant for patients. But also to make a complete review of procedures, ethical considerations and medical assessments in the hospital’s transplant operations.”
Sahlgrenska University Hospital conducts about half of all transplants in Sweden and was for example the first in the world to successfully transplant a cultivated blood vessels. There is currently intense research efforts on what is called regenerative medicine – not least on account of the shortage of organs that exist in Sweden and many other countries.
“We have outstanding reserachers who work in this exciting field of research on, among other things, how a patient’s own stem cells can be used to build new organs. But in the quest for new and better methods, it is important that the patient’s best never is compromised. Therefore, we are taking this opportunity to review our own practices and assessments.”
The investigation will begin shortly and the results will be presented to the hospital management as soon as the investigation is completed. Based on the results of the investigation assessments will be made whether there are grounds to change routines or improve the assessments in clinical trials.
