Al
Moderator emeritus
- Joined
- May 25, 2004
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- 8,083
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- PALS
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- 10/2003
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- CA
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- NW of Toronto
Doctor restricted after patient reportedly dies from in-office stem cell procedure
By LIZ FREEMAN
Naples Daily News
Posted February 28, 2011
State health regulators have imposed an emergency license restriction on Dr. Zannos Grekos for using experimental stem cell therapy on a breast cancer patient in his Bonita Springs practice last year, resulting in the woman’s death, according to the state’s order.
Grekos is prohibited from providing any stem cell therapy in his practice, and the state will seek a hearing for disciplinary action, according to the Feb. 22 order.
A cardiologist by training, Grekos’ practice is Regenocyte Therapeutic, 9500 Bonita Beach Road, Suite 310.
Grekos’ profile in the community has been high in recent years, as he has held educational forums about stem cell therapy, or using one’s own stem cells to regenerate damaged heart, lung and other tissue. The controversial and expensive treatment is not legal in the United States, and Grekos’ patients historically travel to the Dominican Republic to undergo the procedure.
He also has been the subject of several national media reports in which critics claim there is no clinical evidence of the efficacy of stem cell therapy to repair tissue.
The treatment involves a blood draw, which Grekos does in his office, after which the sample is sent to a laboratory in Israel or elsewhere to be cultivated so the stem cells multiply millions of times. The cultivated stem cells are then sent to a foreign hospital for injecting back into the patient at the site of tissue damage. Some Naples patients have had the procedure done in Bangkok, paying $40,000 or more out of pocket.
“The use of unorthodox stem cell transfusions for diseases that have shown no benefit can be extremely dangerous...” a medical expert retained by the state Department of Health said about the Grekos case involving the breast cancer patient. “I felt that his care was substandard and dangerous.”
Grekos was unavailable for comment Monday and phone calls left with Regenocyte were not returned.
A 69-year-old breast cancer patient, who was not identified by the state, went to see Grekos on Feb. 17 for treatment for neurological damage, namely tingling, numbness and weakness of the extremities. She had undergone six cycles of chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer diagnosed in 2006.
A few days later, the woman underwent carotid imaging at Grekos’ practice that showed some narrowing of the carotid arteries, according to the state’s report.
On March 24, he performed a cerebral angiogram on the patient, a diagnostic procedure that images the blood vessels of the brain. On the same day, he injected her own aspirated stem cells into her carotid artery to support her brain vessels, according to the report.
The patient was still sedated when she was discharged home that afternoon and was not fully awake. She was carried inside her home where, sometime that evening, she fell and hit her head.
Paramedics were called around 2 a.m. and the woman was taken to NCH North Naples Hospital. A CT scan showed significant swelling of her brain and possible stroke or hemorrhage. She was later transferred to NCH Downtown Naples Hospital for a successful neurological procedure that relieved some of the pressure on her brain.
Another CT scan and multiple MRI’s showed severe brain stem injury and clotting in the woman’s brain. She was taken off life support and died April 4.
The state report said Grekos’ medical records did not justify the injection of the patient’s stem cells for neurological impairment.
The state’s medical expert, who is not identified in the report, offered his or her opinion that Grekos’ care directly led to the patient’s death.
“... I feel the standard of care was far below normal and dangerous, if not criminal. I feel that this practice should be stopped immediately,” the medical expert wrote. “I feel that it is unfortunate that a patient had to die in the state of Florida before attention was brought to this very dangerous, highly experimental, unorthodox, and not scientifically proven procedure.”
According to the state Department of Financial Services, a settlement of $250,000 was paid by Grekos’ insurer for the patient’s death and no lawsuit was filed by the family.
If it can happen here, what do you think is happening in third world countries?
Article from ALS Independence newsletter.
AL.
By LIZ FREEMAN
Naples Daily News
Posted February 28, 2011
State health regulators have imposed an emergency license restriction on Dr. Zannos Grekos for using experimental stem cell therapy on a breast cancer patient in his Bonita Springs practice last year, resulting in the woman’s death, according to the state’s order.
Grekos is prohibited from providing any stem cell therapy in his practice, and the state will seek a hearing for disciplinary action, according to the Feb. 22 order.
A cardiologist by training, Grekos’ practice is Regenocyte Therapeutic, 9500 Bonita Beach Road, Suite 310.
Grekos’ profile in the community has been high in recent years, as he has held educational forums about stem cell therapy, or using one’s own stem cells to regenerate damaged heart, lung and other tissue. The controversial and expensive treatment is not legal in the United States, and Grekos’ patients historically travel to the Dominican Republic to undergo the procedure.
He also has been the subject of several national media reports in which critics claim there is no clinical evidence of the efficacy of stem cell therapy to repair tissue.
The treatment involves a blood draw, which Grekos does in his office, after which the sample is sent to a laboratory in Israel or elsewhere to be cultivated so the stem cells multiply millions of times. The cultivated stem cells are then sent to a foreign hospital for injecting back into the patient at the site of tissue damage. Some Naples patients have had the procedure done in Bangkok, paying $40,000 or more out of pocket.
“The use of unorthodox stem cell transfusions for diseases that have shown no benefit can be extremely dangerous...” a medical expert retained by the state Department of Health said about the Grekos case involving the breast cancer patient. “I felt that his care was substandard and dangerous.”
Grekos was unavailable for comment Monday and phone calls left with Regenocyte were not returned.
A 69-year-old breast cancer patient, who was not identified by the state, went to see Grekos on Feb. 17 for treatment for neurological damage, namely tingling, numbness and weakness of the extremities. She had undergone six cycles of chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer diagnosed in 2006.
A few days later, the woman underwent carotid imaging at Grekos’ practice that showed some narrowing of the carotid arteries, according to the state’s report.
On March 24, he performed a cerebral angiogram on the patient, a diagnostic procedure that images the blood vessels of the brain. On the same day, he injected her own aspirated stem cells into her carotid artery to support her brain vessels, according to the report.
The patient was still sedated when she was discharged home that afternoon and was not fully awake. She was carried inside her home where, sometime that evening, she fell and hit her head.
Paramedics were called around 2 a.m. and the woman was taken to NCH North Naples Hospital. A CT scan showed significant swelling of her brain and possible stroke or hemorrhage. She was later transferred to NCH Downtown Naples Hospital for a successful neurological procedure that relieved some of the pressure on her brain.
Another CT scan and multiple MRI’s showed severe brain stem injury and clotting in the woman’s brain. She was taken off life support and died April 4.
The state report said Grekos’ medical records did not justify the injection of the patient’s stem cells for neurological impairment.
The state’s medical expert, who is not identified in the report, offered his or her opinion that Grekos’ care directly led to the patient’s death.
“... I feel the standard of care was far below normal and dangerous, if not criminal. I feel that this practice should be stopped immediately,” the medical expert wrote. “I feel that it is unfortunate that a patient had to die in the state of Florida before attention was brought to this very dangerous, highly experimental, unorthodox, and not scientifically proven procedure.”
According to the state Department of Financial Services, a settlement of $250,000 was paid by Grekos’ insurer for the patient’s death and no lawsuit was filed by the family.
If it can happen here, what do you think is happening in third world countries?
Article from ALS Independence newsletter.
AL.