Doctor's stem cell procedure blamed for brain damage

A doctor recently testified at a medical malpractice trial about the actions of another physician. That physician apparently had removed bone marrow from one portion of the patient’s body and injected this marrow into woman’s circulatory system and brain. The testifying doctor apparently was shocked by what he heard, but the other physician let the doctor know that he had “good luck” with this procedure.

Apparently, the good luck has now ended as the woman was admitted to the hospital for brain damage one day after this procedure took place. A complaint has been filed against the treating physician stating that he had committed medical malpractice.

Occasionally, this same physician had sent patients to the Dominican Republic to have this type of procedure performed. In the above circumstance, he decided to personally perform the procedure. It was also discovered that this physician performed a similar procedure upon another patient, and that patient purportedly suffered cardiac arrest and died. The autopsy report stated the procedure caused oxygen to be cut off from the left side of the brain, and resulting brain damage then ended in the patient’s death.

Most doctors can be trusted. Other doctors never learn from their mistakes. Whether this is due to incompetence or the arrogant perception that they can perform particular procedures without consequences, such physicians need to be held accountable so that the medical profession can be cleaned up.

Brain damage is probably the most serious of injuries that any doctor could ever inflict upon a patient. Unfortunately, incidents that result in brain injury occur too often at hospitals.

Source: Naples News, “‘You did what?’ doctor testifies at hearing about Grekos’ stem cell procedure,” by Liz Freeman, Oct. 18, 2012