HOUSTON – Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center is stopping its heart transplant surgery program for 14 days to review two recent deaths in the program.
The voluntary inactive status begins Friday. The hospital said it will not accept donor hearts for transplant during the two-week period.
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In a news release posted on its website, the organization said:
"The hospital will use the time to complete a medical review of two recent mortalities in the heart transplant program, while continuing its clinical assessment of the program and recruitment of additional surgical and clinical expertise.
"The temporary inactive status for heart transplant program will not affect other heart-failure procedures, such as heart-pump implants, or any other transplant programs across the hospital. The organization will continue to keep patients, families, physicians, staff and others apprised of our progress in the heart transplant program."
Doug Lawson, CEO of Catholic Health Initiatives Texas Division, spoke out in a video released by the organization.