Heart Valve Bank: Patients given transplants from donor with cancer

FOUR Queensland patients, including three babies, have been given heart tissue transplants taken from a donor with brain cancer in a scandal that has been uncovered at the state’s only heart valve bank.

FOUR Queensland patients including three babies have been given heart tissue transplants taken from a donor with brain cancer in a scandal that has been uncovered at the state’s only heart valve bank.

Queensland Health discovered the transplants, which may expose the patients to a very small risk of cancer, as part of an inquiry into fraud allegations at the facility.

Three of the patients are infants under the age of one and the other is a young adult.

Queensland Health cannot rule out other patients being given transplants with contaminated tissue.

QueenslandÕs Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young launch the Flu Five and Queensland Health flu animation and update media on the latest flu notification figures.at the Royal Brisbane Hospital in Brisbane on 22/08/2017.(Marc Robertson/AAP Image) NO ARCHIVING

Chief Health officer Jeannette Young said the risk to the patients was “ extremely low”. She said the heart tissue was not itself contaminated.

The Courier Mail last month revealed the Queensland Heart Valve Bank had been closed since January and the scientists running it were stood aside after allegations of mismanagement.

The closure of the facility means no heart valves can be collected from organ donors in Queensland.

Health Minister Steven Miles told parliament last month the bank was not permanently closed and patients were not affected.

“There is no impact on patients or patient care. All tissue banks in Australia work collaboratively depending on need and it is common to source tissue from interstate,” he told parliament.

Queensland Health Director-General Michael Walsh said the use of the tissue was unacceptable.

Queensland Health Director-General Michael Walsh said the use of the tissue was unacceptable. Picture: Justin Brierty

“While I’m assured the risk to these patients is extraordinarily low, this is unacceptable and should not have happened,” Mr Walsh said.

“We have sincerely apologised to these patients and their families.

“At the request of the Minister for Health, I’ve ordered a full, independent, external review of the Heart Valve Bank to determine how and why this happened, and what measures need to be put in place to prevent it ever happening again.”

Dr Young said the patients’ families had been informed this week.

The patients, who all have serious heart conditions, will be monitored for any adverse reaction as part of their treatment.

Health minister Steven Miles ordered the new external review to find out how the tissue was able to be used in breach of clinical guidelines.

“I want this review to find out why this happened, and make sure it never happens again,” Mr Miles said.

The review is likely to be completed by the end of the year.