I Was Here: Doctor Suspended After Branding Initials On Patient’s Liver
A surgeon in Britain has had his medical license suspended following allegations that he “branded” his initials on a patient’s liver.
Simon Bramhall faces an investigation after a colleague discovered the initials “SB” on the organ during a follow-up operation at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, newspapers said.
The 48-year-old consultant has held his position at the hospital for over a decade, sparking fears the surgeon may have similarly branded hundreds of other transplant, reports UK paper Metro.
A source said: “It is quite astonishing to think someone may have done this, especially someone as experienced at Mr Bramhall.
“I am hoping this is just a mistake, I don’t know what would possess someone to do that to another human being.
“I’m just a little shocked that something like this may have happened right under everyone’s noses.
“It could have happened hundreds of times, who knows? It was just luck that this incident was brought to light.”
The hospital’s managing trust said in a statement: “Following an allegation of misconduct, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust has suspended a surgeon while an internal investigation is completed.”
The Daily Mail newspaper said Bramhall used non-toxic argon gas to sear his initials onto the liver.