Human Tissue Grafts Continue to Raise Public Health Concern

Jack Landskroner

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Recipients of transplanted human tissue continue to be threatened by the fear of exposure to infectious diseases from donor tissue which was improperly and illegally harvested from cadavers in NY State. Surgical patients that received "allograft" or human tissue during their procedures may have been exposed to communicable diseases including HIV-1 and 2, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and syphilis.

Recipients of allograft tissue which was harvested by Biomedical Tissue Services should be aware that at least 50 people have come forward who are believed to have been infected with Hepatitis as a result of receiving contaminated tissue. At least 5 are residents of Ohio. Each tissue lot can be used for multiple graft procedures thus if one person was infected by tissue from that lot, there is a strong likelihood that others receiving tissue from the same lot will also be infected.

Concerned patients should contact their treating doctor immediately and request testing as well as a copy of their medical records. The records will contain the tissue identification number which must be maintained by the hospital in patient records. Once this number is identified select attorneys involved in this litigation, including our office, will be able to assist in obtaining the tissue donor information in order to rule out exposure.