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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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Infected kidney case raises organ donation questions

The case of two men who died after receiving infected kidneys has raised questions over the system of organ donation and the checks involved.

Jim Stuart and Darren Hughes both underwent surgery in Cardiff last year. The donor was a known alcoholic and the kidneys were infected with parasitic worms.

A coroner ruled that there was no failure by surgeons in the case.

Our Science Correspondent Alok Jha spent the day on a transplant ward in Newcastle talking to patients, some of whom say they'd rather have a high risk organ than stay on the waiting list:

  1. Wales

Kidney transplant tragedy 'will live with' surgeon

Surgeon Argiris Asderakis was responsible for accepting the kidneys. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

Argiris Asderakis, the consultant transplant surgeon who was responsible for the kidney operations, has apologised for what happened.

I am very sorry that two people have lost their lives and the pain and sadness that the families continue to cope with.

I take pride in my many years working in transplantation and the people and families whose lives have been helped by the Cardiff Transplant Unit.

Their words have been a great support and I am very grateful to them. Kidney transplantation is performed to prolong the lives of patients who suffer from renal failure. Although nobody could have anticipated this tragedy it will live with me and I am deeply sorry for what happened.

– Argiris Asderakis, Consultant Surgeon at Cardiff Transplant Unit

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Families to seek civil claims after kidney deaths

Solicitor Julie Lewis said she'd been instructed to investigation civil claims on behalf of both families.

The families of Robert 'Jim' Stuart and Darren Hughes say they feel like their accounts weren't believe and want the cases referred to the General Medical Council.

Speaking outside Cardiff Coroner's Court, solicitor Julie Lewis who represents both families, said they were grateful for the coroner's investigation but were disappointed by some of the comments he made in his verdict.

The families particularly are disappointed at the fact that he found in the doctor's favour in relation to the consent issue, bearing in mind that we thought we'd given very clear evidence of what happened on the day...

It's been an incredibly emotional experience for both families and disappointing understandably. The families feel like they weren't believed when they were giving their very truthful accounts of what happened on the day.

– Julie Lewis, family solicitor

She said she has been instructed to make referrals to the General Medical Council and also investigate civil negligence claims in the case.

Ms Lewis added that both families understand that what happened was 'incredibly rare' and people shouldn't be put off transplantation.

'Unintended consequences of medical treatment' led to death

Darren Hughes.

The Coroner has ruled that Darren Hughes died as a result of his necessary medical treatment.

Darren Hughes died from Meningoencephalitis on the 19th December 2013, after undergoing a kidney transplant on the 30th November 2013. The source of the infection was the transplanted kidney and the agent of infection was the Halicephalobus nematode present in this kidney.

The kidney had been rejected by several transplant centres before it was accepted for Mr Hughes, either because of its poor function or because of the donor's cause of death. It was not rejected because of the Halicephalobus nematode, or accepted in spite of it, as this organism is almost unknown to medical science and there was no test for it in the circumstances of this transplant. Darren Hughes died from the unintended consequences of necessary medical intervention.

– Coroner

Robert Stuart died from consequences of medical treatment

Robert Stuart with his wife.

The Coroner has ruled that Robert Stuart died as a result of his necessary medical treatment.

Robert James Stuart died from Meningoencephalitis on the 17th December 2013, after undergoing a kidney transplant on the 30th November 2013. The source of the infection was the transplanted kidney and the agent of infection was the Halicephalobus nematode present in this kidney.

The kidney had been rejected by several transplant centres before it was accepted for Mr Stuart, either because of its poor function or because of the donor's cause of death. It was not rejected because of the Halicephalobus nematode, or accepted in spite of it, as this organism is almost unknown to medical science and there was no test for it in the circumstances of this transplant. Robert James Stuart died from the unintended consequences of necessary medical intervention.

– Coroner

Coroner: Many surgeons would have used parasite kidneys

A Coroner has said that decision to use kidneys from a donor who it was believed had died from meningitis was correct.

Two men from south Wales died after receiving donor kidneys that turned out to carry a deadly parasitic worm.

The organs implanted in Darren Hughes and Robert 'Jim' Stuart had been rejected by several other hospitals before they were eventually used.

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Worm-infected kidneys could not have been 'forseen'

The inquest into the deaths of two transplant patients has heard that the viruses and conditions the donor and his organ had been tested for included hepatitis, HIV, dengue fever and herpes - all of which proved negative.

UHW consultant surgeon Argiris Asderakis said pre-operation checks on the donor kidneys and the recipients gave him no cause for concern.

When Mr Asderakis was asked whether he or other doctors would have been expected to check for halcephalobus - a parasitic worm-, he replied:

"No, not at all. I had never even heard of it before.

"Nobody could have predicted what ended up being the first human to human transmission of this bug.

"Could I have foreseen it? No.

"I know this is no consolation to the families."

He also insisted that, given what he knew at the time, he considered the organs to be of "low risk".

More: Surgeon accepted donor's kidneys despite meningitis

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.

Surgeon accepted donor's kidneys despite meningitis

A surgeon has explained to an inquest why he was content to receive kidneys for two men from an alcoholic donor who had died from meningitis.

Argiris Asderakis, Consultant Transplant Surgeon at University Hospital of South Wales, told the hearing he was initially told the donor died from meningoencephalitis - a medical condition that resembles meningitis and brain infection encephalitis.

Giving evidence at Cardiff Coroner's Court, Asderakis said he believed that the threat of a virus in the organs, which had been rejected by several hospitals, was "most likely" covered by the treatment the donor had been receiving.

Robert Stuart, 67, from Cardiff, and Darren Hughes, 42, of Bridgend, both died after being given kidneys from an alcoholic donor infected with the deadly parasitic worm halcephalobus.

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