The State - News from April 6, 1988

The UC San Diego Medical Center put its unsuccessful liver transplant program on indefinite hold while outside experts try to figure out why all four of the program’s patients died. A medical center spokesman said two liver transplant experts have been asked to review the hospital’s program. One of the outside experts reportedly is from the UCLA Medical Center, which has a successful liver transplant program. Dr. Ronald W. Busuttil said he would visit the medical center next month as part of the review. “I presume they’re going to ask me to review those four cases,” he said. He declined to discuss the specifics of the cases but added, “Obviously, a zero percent survival rate is not good.” Dr. Oscar L. Bronsther resigned as head of the hospital’s liver transplant program shortly after the fourth patient died.