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'No failure' when parasitic worm kidneys were transplanted

A surgeon made 'no failures' when he decided to use two kidneys which were infected with a parasitic worm in organ transplants for two men, a Coroner has said.

Cardiff Coroner's Court heard the organs implanted in Darren Hughes and Robert 'Jim' Stuart had been rejected by several other hospitals before they were eventually used.

The two men died shortly after their operations, with a post-mortem pointing to an infection caused by the parasitic worm Halicephalobus.

Although doctors at the time had no idea the rare parasite was present, before these cases it had only been recorded in five humans.

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Transplant patient 'aware of donor's meningitis'

A surgeon has told an inquest that one of two patients who died after receiving a kidney transplant was aware of the donor's suspected viral meningitis.

Robert Stuart, known as Jim to his family, was advised of possible kidney dysfunction, Argiris Asderakis told the hearing at Cardiff Coroner's Court

The 67-year-old, from Cardiff and 42-year-old Darren Hughes, 42, of Bridgend, both died after receiving a kidney from the same donor at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff in December 2013.

The inquest has heard that doctors knew the donor had died from meningitis before accepting the organs.

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