HOUSTON – After Memorial Hermann halted its liver and kidney transplantation programs, The New York Times reported that a surgeon was accused of secretly modifying some of his patients’ transplant information which possibly prevented them from receiving care.
- SEE ORIGINAL REPORT: Houston surgeon accused of ‘secretly’ rejecting liver transplants
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Dr. J. Steve Bynon is employed by the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston and has been contracted with Memorial Hermann’s abdominal transplant program since 2011. He was also connected to other organizations in the organ donation space, including the United Network for Organ Sharing. He was also listed on the Board of Directors for a nonprofit organization called The Living Bank as recent as yesterday, but he has since been removed from their site.
KPRC 2 reached out to The Living Bank for comment, and we will update if we hear back.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a statement confirming they are investigating the allegations.
“Working with our federal and state partners, HHS will pursue all appropriate enforcement and compliance actions to the fullest extent available under relevant regulations and policies to protect the safety and integrity of the organ procurement and transplantation system.” a portion of their statement read.
UTHealth sent out a statement defending the surgeon:
Dr. Steve Bynon is an exceptionally talented and caring physician, and a pioneer in abdominal organ transplantation. According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, Bynon’s survival rates and surgical outcomes are among the best in the nation, even while treating patients with higher-than-average acuity and disease complexity. UTHealth Houston is proud of the many contributions Dr. Bynon and his team have made to our university, our academic and clinical transplant programs, and to the field of transplant medicine. Our faculty and staff members, including Dr. Bynon, are assisting with the inquiry into Memorial Hermann’s liver transplant program and are committed to addressing and resolving any findings identified by this process.
As we’ve reported on the transplant programs at Memorial Hermann and also the accusations against Dr. Bynon, some KPRC 2 viewers have shared their experiences working with or receiving care from Dr. Bynon in the comment section of the article.
“Dr. Bynon and his team saved my life. My case was very fast. In my opinion they bent over backwards to get me the care I needed. I would trust Dr. Bynon over ANY Government Agency. Any day! Also if I had to go through that again the FIRST person I’d want in the room is Dr. Bynon.
I don’t see how you can plaster his name based on an unsubstantiated report from a rag like The NY Times.
I will always stand by him because he always stood by me. I had to go into the hospital again for a non-liver issue and he saw my name on a door as he was making his rounds. He didn’t have to but he came in to see why I was in and if there was anything he could do for me.
You don’t do that sort of work unless you are passionate about it. Organ transplant. I’m sure it is very stressful being under the gun for a 9 hour surgery! Why would he want to kill his passion? Again, he’d be the FIRST person I would want in the room if I had to go through that again!”
“He saved mine [life] as well. I had a long post about it- but went to edit, and erased it. Smart!
You know how long, rigorous and painful those tests were. I mean- I was as huge as a house, maxed out the bed- and I’m normally small. I couldn’t move ‚and couldn’t get out of bed because my blood wouldn’t clot. Mine was a long and terrible process. I was a yellow whale. It was ugly. Even being like that, I still had to go through the interview, and so did my family ‚and the people who were taking care of me- it was a huge group effort- psychiatrist, the people in and out, Quizzing you on everything I guess to know if you’re still thinking. I was supposed to be in a coma the whole time, but I wasn’t. Not to mention fighting with insurance . Nightmare. It’s expensive as you know. They don’t, and can’t, take everyone, especially if they’re not sure they will survive. I waited for months in that bed because the perfect Liver would not come in. They took me off the list because I was dying. So to whoever doesn’t think I know that side- you are wrong. But I made a recovery and was put back on. The aftermath isn’t pretty either. Loooong recovery for me. I had to learn to walk again, and more. They also have to consider that. LOTS of factors, and it isn’t for the weak, I can promise you that. It’s easy to say everyone should get a liver or a kidney, and I wish they could! but that is just not the case. Death does weird things to people, and it makes people not think rationally- they think emotionally. I don’t know if that’s the case here- but Dr. Bynon is a great surgeon and his team was excellent.
So glad he got to save you, and help you as well!”
“I was placed on the ‘list’ in January 2018. I received my transplant in September 2018. The criteria for being placed , and moving ‘up’ the list was very stringent. Being healthy, was high on the list you could have absolutely nothing else wrong, no diabetes, no blood pressure issues, and the tests! from the treadmill to the breathing chamber, and you had to have a support system, my kids, and grand kids wrote letters my church family wrote letters my employer and co-workers, and customers wrote letters.
and yes, they made sure I was financially secure enough to take care of this liver once they gave it to me.
I am just a regular working stiff, DR. Bynon THANK YOU! I know you do your utmost best to treat whatever patient you have, with whatever criteria you have I appreciate , and Believe in you!”