Friday, December 3, 2010

Self-Confessed Killer Receives Liver Transplant

Johnny Concepcion, 43, is a self-confessed murderer who recently received a liver transplant at the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center.
The New York Post reports Concepcion left the hospital on Friday and went straight to jail.
Concepcion reportedly destroyed his liver in a suicide attempt in which he downed rat poison after he confessed to fatally stabbing his wife.
The report of a confessed, suicidal murderer receiving a liver transplant prior to many others has sparked much outrage. Many see it as a “wasted organ.” Others are outraged because they see it as a “line jump” ahead of the 1,80o plus liver-transplant candidates in New York state waiting for a liver transplant.
The Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) reports that as of July 16, 50 New York liver-transplant candidates have died this year waiting for an organ.
"It's extremely frustrating, and it's scary to know that I could die before I find a donor," Sullivan said. "My wait is excruciating -- as it is for everyone out there waiting.
Federal guideline dictate a person can be placed on a transplant list only by a surgeon from a transplant center. Placement on the list is followed by an evaluation of the hospital’s transplant team to determine the individual’s status based on medical criteria. This determines how sick the person is and where they are ranked on the list.
Organ transplantation is expensive; involving costs before, during, and after the actual transplant surgery. Costs after transportation include continued follow up checkups and medications, including immunosuppressive or antirejection drugs, which may cost up to $2,500 per month.
UPDATED (07-27-2010, 2 pm)
It is reported by Reuters that Bryan Dotson, a spokesperson for the New York Presbyterian Hospital, has said the New York Post report was wrong. "This person did not receive a liver transplant at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital," he told Reuters Health. He declined to make further comments, as hospitals often do in an attempt to protect patient confidentiality.