Report: Prominent heart doc pushed ethical envelope in pursuit of innovation

Prominent cardiac surgeon and heart device developer Dr. O.H. Frazier regularly cut corners and skirted ethical guidelines in his pursuit of cardiovascular innovations, according to a combined Houston Chronicle and ProPublica report. Accusations against Dr. Frazier include the implantation of experimental heart pumps in patients who weren’t approved to be included in clinical trials, favoring experimental heart pumps in procedures over proven treatments and not acknowledging issues with the devices, failures to disclose consulting fees and research grants and allowing unlicensed researchers to treat patients in his programs, according to the report. The allegations eventually reached executives at Baylor’s St. Luke’s Medical Center and Texas Heart where he worked, but the execs took “little or no action” to rein him in, according to the Houston Chronicle. Dr. Frazier continued to work into his 70s, according to the report, though his Medicare outcomes ranked amongst the worst in the country during his later years. Frazier has denied any wrongdoings and mishandling, the Houston Chronicle reports, and disputes the accuracy of reports claiming he engaged in “serious and repeated” research violations. The post Report: Prominent heart doc pushed ethical envelope in pursuit of innovation appeared first on MassDevice.
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Cardiovascular Research & Development Source Type: news