British Surgeon Suspended For 'Branding Initials' On Patient's Liver

A British surgeon has been suspended after allegedly "branding" his initials onto a transplant patient's liver, Agence France-Presse reported on Tuesday.

Consultant Simon Bramhall, 48, faces an investigation after a colleague discovered the initials "SB" on the organ during a follow-up operation at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England.

Having worked at the hospital for more than ten years, it is unconfirmed whether the letters may have been imprinted onto hundreds of other transplant recipients as well, AFP reported.

"Following an allegation of misconduct, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust has suspended a surgeon while an internal investigation is completed," said the hospital's managing trust in a statement.

Bramhall used non-toxic argon gas to sear his initials onto the liver, according to UK MailOnline. Experts say it would leave superficial burns but is not usually harmful.

"It is quite astonishing to think someone may have done this, especially someone as experienced as Mr. Bramhall," an insider told the Telegraph. "I am hoping this is just a mistake, I don't know what would possess someone to do that to another human being."

"What gives a person the right to do that to another? There should be trust between the two people, although now people may think otherwise about coming to the hospital if the allegations are true," the insider said. "I'm just a little shocked that something like this may have happened right under everyone's noses. Imagine if the person died and was an organ donor, would the new owner of that liver want it to be branded? I doubt it very much."

Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern, said, "This is a patient we are talking about, not an autograph book."

"It could have happened hundreds of times, who knows? It was just luck that this incident was brought to light," the insider told the Telegraph.

When approached, Mr. Bramhall denied he was suspended, the Telegraph reported.

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