El Paso doctor for kidney transplants steps aside

[okarol]

El Paso doctor for kidney transplants steps aside

By Diana Washington Valdez / El Paso Times
El Paso Times
Article Launched:09/08/2007 12:00:00 AM MDT



Sierra Medical Center said Friday that it was suspending kidney transplants.

"Sierra Medical Center has been notified that the surgeon who performs kidney transplants for the hospital is no longer able to perform these important surgeries," the hospital said in a prepared statement.

"As a result, the kidney transplant program will be inactive until a new surgeon can be found. We have begun notifying approximately 84 patients who are affected."

Dr. Hector Diaz-Luna, the transplant surgeon, was unavailable for comment Friday.

The center, open since 1987, averaged 20 transplants a year.

Dr. Alfonso Chavez, founder of El Paso's kidney transplant program, said patients were left upset and confused by Sierra's announcement that it was closing the transplant center.

Sierra later said it would look for another surgeon.

"Dr. Hector Diaz-Luna is the only surgeon in El Paso qualified to do kidney transplants," Chavez said.

"There was some kind of disagreement or miscommunication, and he became upset and quit. The hospital should (make) plans to continue the work.

"El Paso deserves better than this."

Pam Silvestri, spokeswoman for Southwest Transplant Alliance in Dallas, said the patients would be transferred to other transplant hospitals.

"It's mainly the inconvenience factor," she said. They "will not lose their place on the waiting list."

But Clarence Inns, an El Pasoan who had a kidney transplant at Sierra six years ago, disagreed. "We had excellent care when I had my surgery," he said.

"Dr. Diaz-Luna would work 18 hours a day and still come by and see me at the hospital at 10 p.m.

"You need a lot of follow-up care," Inns said, "and people who have to go out of town for this will not be able to afford it."

Diana Washington Valdez may be reached at dvaldez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6140.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=6832613&siteId=525

[goofynina]

OMG,  How could he just up and leave, how does he sleep at night knowing that he let all them patients down?    And what about the hospital, shouldnt they have a backup plan?