A Houston hospital has suspended its liver and kidney transplant programs after discovering that a doctor had allegedly manipulated records for liver transplant candidates. The doctor, identified as Dr. J. Steve Bynon Jr., reportedly made inappropriate changes to the records of liver transplant candidates, effectively inactivating them on the waiting list, leading to these patients not receiving organ donation offers. Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, where Bynon had a contract to lead the abdominal transplant program, has halted the programs while an investigation is underway.
UTHealth Houston, where Bynon works as a surgeon, has described him as an exceptionally talented and caring physician, committed to addressing and resolving any findings identified during the inquiry into Memorial Hermann’s liver transplant program. The hospital had put a pause on its liver donation program due to a pattern of irregularities with donor acceptance criteria, including criteria related to patients’ weight and age. While the irregularities were limited to liver transplants, the kidney transplant program was also halted as they shared the same leadership.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is aware of the allegations and has initiated an investigation to protect patient safety and ensure equitable access to organ transplant services for all patients. Memorial Hermann has witnessed an increase in liver transplant candidates dying while on the waitlist or becoming too ill for a transplant in recent years, as data from the Organ Procurement Transplantation Network indicates. Despite this, UTHealth Houston has defended Dr. Bynon’s surgical outcomes and survival rates as among the best in the nation.
The hospital has not provided a timeline for the programs to resume and is working with patients and their families to ensure they receive care. Patients on the waiting lists do not receive organ offers during the program suspension but continue to accumulate waiting time. They may also be on multiple transplant waiting lists or transfer their wait time to another program. In Houston, other hospitals like Houston Methodist, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center also offer transplant programs, providing potential alternatives for patients affected by the program suspensions. The situation highlights the importance of ensuring the integrity and safety of the organ procurement and transplantation system.
