Brave doctor fired for exposing secret medical experimentation taking place at Northwestern University
Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Dr. Rajamanna caught Dr. Patrick McCarthy, who still works at NU, secretly installing his own medical device inventions into patients in order to test them. Neither of the two devices -- an IMR annuloplasty device and a Myxo annuloplasty device made by Edwards Lifesciences -- has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and none of the patients who received them were aware of the situation.
But Antonitsa Vlahoulis, a patient of Dr. Rajamanna, unknowingly let the cat out of the bag when she had to return for a second surgery less than a year after having secretly received a Myxo annuloplasty device. Dr. Rajamanna noticed that Vlahoulis pre-op brochure listed a different device than the Myxo, which prompted her to begin asking questions.
According to Vlahoulis, Dr. McCarthy had explained prior to her initial surgery that she had a severe Mitral valve prolapse, and would need a replacement valve. But he failed to tell her that the one he planned to implant was his own invention, and was not approved for use by the FDA. Dr. McCarthy also did not have Vlahoulis sign an informed consent acknowledging that the surgery would be experimental.
The Myxo device ended up causing stenosis, a narrowing of blood vessels, which led to the need for Vlahoulis' tricuspid valve to be repaired. She also reportedly now has a permanent pacemaker, and suffers from shortness of breath and various heart problems.
Dr. Rajamanna also found that, in the process of trying to get these devices officially approved, Dr. McCarthy his this and other negative trial outcomes, and only logged those outcomes that appeared favorable.
But when Dr. Rajamanna went to Dean Jameson, Dean of NU Medical School, the Institutional Review Board, and the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation (NMFF) to let them know about this illegal activity taking place under their watch, they ignored her and sided with Dr. McCarthy. They also ended up firing her.
"I am trying to get the FDA and Congress to open a Congressional investigation," said Dr. Rajamanna. "Patients are suffering from these human experiments and no one has stepped up to help these patients to date."
Sources for this article include:
http://www.topsecretwriters.com/201...
http://www.naturalnews.com/z034137_medical_experimentation_Northwestern_University.html
Nov. 13, 2011