Soldier dies after receiving smoker's lungs in transplant - CNN.com

Soldier dies after receiving smoker's lungs in transplant - CNN.com

A leading UK hospital has defended its practice of using organs donated by smokers after the death of a soldier who received the cancerous lungs of a heavy smoker.

Corporal Matthew Millington, 31, died at his home in 2008, less than a year after receiving a transplant that was supposed to save his life at Papworth Hospital -- the UK's largest specialist cardiothoracic hospital, in Cambridgeshire, east England.

Papworth Hospital released a statement saying using donor lungs from smokers was not "unusual."

The statement added that the hospital had no option but to use lungs from smokers as "the number of lung transplants carried out would have been significantly lower," if they didn't.

Apparently, organ donations are not fully screened in the United Kingdom due to minimal funding under the National Health System (NHS).

In this case, the Iraq War Veteran "...was serving in Iraq in 2005 when he was diagnosed with an incurable condition that left him unable to breathe."

So he was put on the waiting list, and they eventually came up with a pair of replacement lungs, but they didn't tell him that the lungs they had came from a 2-1/2 packs per day smoker.

Less than a year later, he developed Lung Cancer and died as a result of his wounds ... delivered by a 'grateful NHS.

This is just more example of the reasons why Socialized Medicine is Not A Good Idea. The entire program is supported by The State, and when the money runs out it's Hobbson's Choice for you, my lad. "This is what we have; take it, or leave it."

He was told he required a transplant and in April 2007 received a double lung transplant at Papworth Hospital.

Less than a year later, doctors discovered a tumor in the new lungs. Despite radiotherapy, Millington died on February 8, 2008, at his family home near Stoke-on-Trent, in Staffordshire.

The inquest found a radiologist failed to highlight the growth of a cancerous tumor on the donor lungs.

Tests found that he had received the lungs of a donor who smoked up to 50 cigarettes a day, the inquest at North Staffordshire coroner's court heard.

[Emphasis Added] One wonders why this "cancerous tumor" was not found on the donor lungs before they were transplanted.

The answer is obvious: they didn't perform the necessary tests before the transplant, and the most obvious reason is that the NHS was reluctant to perform the necessary tests. Forget the obvious lies which blame it on a radiologist. Trust me, if you have lung cancer it CAN be detected by a CT scan.

This evening I talked to SWMBO, who was diagnosed with Lung Cancer 15 months ago. Today she was scheduled for another CT scan, and informed by her insurance carrier that she would be personally responsible for about 10% of the cost of the CT scan ... which costs a total of $3,250 - $4,500.

She was nonplussed about the fact that, although she pays $600/month for insurance, she would be required to pay $350 - $450 for the CT scan. As she is unable to work, and lives on her pension, she was unhappy with the news.

Evil Private Medical Insurance Bastards!

Under NHS, Corporal Matthew Millington was not required to co-pay for the CT scan which would have detected the tumor in his replacement lungs. Under the circumstances, I suspect that almost anyone would argue that it was a necessary pre-condition to accepting a pair of lungs that a CT scan be performed. Since the article did not mention it, and because the test is definitive and WOULD have detected a tumor, it seems safe to conclude that a CT scan of the donor lungs was not performed prior to them being transplanted in the body of a young, otherwise healthy veteran.

But the choice was not offered to the veteran recipient. He probably was not even aware that the most definitive (albeit expensive) examination of the transplant organs had not been performed.

Instead, NHS rolled the dice for him and ... oh darn. Sorry, but we put a smoker's lungs into your body without thoroughly testing them and I'm afraid we put a cancer in there as well. But I'm sure you understand that we had no way of knowing about the tumor, because we really couldn't afford to make the tests. Stiff upper lip, Old Boy, and all that.

Now we in America are pondering whether to invoke Socialized Medicine upon our populace.

Perhaps it would be better to just cut our own throats and save ourselves the pain and discomfort of Bandages-On-A-Budget.

Evil Socialized Medicine Bastards!