Heart Valve Auction Hits UK eBay For $600
May 25th, 2007
NHS Mechanical Heart Valve Goes Up For Bid On eBay for $600
To think there is a market for mechanical heart valves on eBay?
This story comes straight out of the ridiculous file… Cheers. Adam
A UK seller tried to illegally flog the life-saving device before bosses took it off the website auction.
The £300 valve — put on the website on Valentine’s Day — contravened eBay rules and staff contacted health officers.
The incident was kept under wraps and a team from the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency investigated.
It is still not known where the plastic and metal valve came from but a cardiologist at an NHS foundation trust hospital, who did not wish to be named, said last night: “This is worrying.
“It’s alarming to think this valve could have come from a patient. If it was a new valve and stolen from the NHS it is shocking. It means someone in need could have had a vital operation delayed.”
Sales of surgical devices carry a massive risk to public health as they could carry HIV or Hepatitis C and there is no way of telling where they have come from.
An op to insert an artificial valve into the body normally costs more than £10,000.
They are used to prevent blood flowing backwards and can last for 25 years inside the patient.
It was not disclosed how much the seller wanted for the valve — or if anyone entered a bid. An MHRA spokesperson said: “We are seeing an alarming increase in medical devices being sold on the internet.”
(Source: The Sun – UK)
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| About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates clinical research with the personal experiences of 135 former patients to help future patients and their caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here. |
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