This report originally appeared in the March 2010 issue of DOTmed Business News

The U.S. Attorney of the Central District of California has announced that a Los Angeles surgeon, who was director of the liver transplant program at St. Vincent Medical Center, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for lying to the national organ transplant network. According to the U.S. Attorney's press release, the surgeon lied regarding the acceptance of a liver on behalf of one patient, but the liver was then transplanted into another patient lower on the national wait list.

The accused is Dr. Richard R. Lopez Jr., named in an eight-count indictment alleging that St. Vincent was offered a liver for a patient ranking second on the match list for that liver, but out of the country at the time. Lopez allegedly approved acceptance of the liver and transplantation into another patient at St. Vincent, who was 52nd on the national list. Lopez allegedly did not advise the organ procurement organization of the intended switch and allowing the organ to be offered to the backup patient.

After the other St. Vincent patient received the liver, Lopez and co-conspirators falsely told authorities at the national organ transplant network that the original patient had received the liver, and later submitted a falsified pathology report on the original patient's supposedly-removed bad liver. Due to that false reporting, the original patient was removed from the liver transplant wait list in September 2003. However, Lopez allegedly continued to tell that patient he was still on the liver transplant wait list. Eventually that patient became too ill to receive a transplant and later died. The switch was discovered by St. Vincent management and reported to authorities. Lopez has not been associated with St. Vincent since late 2005. The hospital has fully cooperated with federal authorities with the investigation. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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